


All Plants Need Time To Grow

by EekTheSnitch



Category: My Engineer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boys Kissing, Brief Violence, Camping, Crossover, Domestic Fluff, Falling In Love, Fluff, Gardens & Gardening, Heart-to-Heart, Infidelity (not Ram or King), M/M, Mature Situations, Modified scenes or things from other BLs or Rom Coms to fit into my fic, Napping, Not Beta Read, Nudity, Original Characters - Freeform, Reworking of My Engineer Scenes from Episode 11-14 to fit into my fic, Stargazing, Starts right after King and Ram's interaction at King's "special place" in Episode 10
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:46:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 185,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24058450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EekTheSnitch/pseuds/EekTheSnitch
Summary: Ram is trying to deal with the situation with his dad and he is finding that King is the one person who can help him cope with it. King says that plants are not easy to grow, but they can turn into beautiful flowers over time. Ram is realizing that situations may be tough, but with the help of King, things may turn out to be more than okay.This fic starts at Episode 10 when Ram was about to tell King about his dad. This is where the story diverges on a similar but different path and goes through scenes from the series but in different contexts.
Relationships: Bohn/Duen (My Engineer), Boss/Mek (My Engineer), King/Ram (My Engineer), Ram/King (My Engineer)
Comments: 520
Kudos: 626





	1. A secret place and a purple flower

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fan fiction. I was super motivated to continue where Ram and King left off in Episode 10, so SPOILER ALERT! This will probably end up being AU after Episode 11 but I don't care because I love anything with King and Ram in it. If anyone is interested in me continuing with this, I have tons of ideas of where I want this to go. Expect multiple chapters. Sorry for any typos or grammatical mistakes. This is new for me!
> 
> Some quotes were taken from My Engineer Episode 10 (english subtitles).
> 
> This story is crossposted at Wattpad.

King was worried. After Ram left with his friends, King kept looking at his arm wondering what Ram was going to tell him. Ever since he took Ram to his secret place, he got a sense that something was really bothering him. Ram was quiet anyway, but his eyes showed that he was troubled. Ram had said that the person who understands him was King and King knew that something major had happened to Ram just by looking at him. Something was wrong.

While Bohn and Duen were outside, King decided he might as well start cleaning up all the food plates and utensils the group had used but he could not get his mind off of Ram. His mind kept wandering to those big brown, puppy dog eyes that made him want to take care of him.

He continued to ponder what he should do and decided he needed to clear his head. He walked into his room and started greeting his plants. He allowed the texture of the leaves and stems ground him and relax him. By the time he went through all the plants in his room, he sat on his bed and sighed. 

He did not know when it happened. At first, he just thought that Ram was this interesting guy who had tattoos and hardly talked. He liked the challenge of trying to break Ram out of his shell. King never had problems making friends or getting along with others, but Ram’s stoic appearance just made him want to try harder to befriend him. This caused him to observe Ram a lot and he was able to distinguish the meaning of his facial expressions and body language without Ram even saying anything.

That is why the look that Ram gave him before he left bothered him so much. All this effort in connecting with Ram has led to him caring for Ram more than he ever imagined. When he pulled Ram to his secret place, he intended to just share something else that could be helpful to Ram. It was very much like the pencil he had wrote “Cool Boy” on. He was just trying to help his Nong. 

Yet, when they sat down and Ram seemed to absorb and appreciate the beauty of the place, he felt like it was only him and Ram in the world. When he showed the flower to Ram, he did not know what made him decide to put the flower behind his ear, but it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. It was like his heart was so full of this warm feeling inside. In that very moment, he knew that he cared for Ram and would be there for him no matter what. In sharing the secret place with Ram and saying that it may be hard for Ram to find someone to understand him, he was in his own way, offering himself. He was surprised that Ram had acknowledged him as his one person that understood him. 

“What should I do?," King asked himself. He closed his eyes and his mind was filled with those brown eyes, so sad and shattered.

******************

Ram left with his friends to help with getting Ting home. Afterwards, he headed back to his condo, took a shower, and changed into shorts and a t-shirt.

He then sat at his desk, took out the purple flower from his wallet, and stared at it. It brought back visions of King’s secret place. When King brought him out to his little hideaway, Ram thought that it was such a wonderful place. It was so tranquil and quiet. The breeze coming through felt like it was taking away all of his burdens. Being there with King and sharing the space, made it even better. 

Ram was not one to get close to people. He has a small group of friends that he hangs out with, but he is not a person who likes to share his troubles with others. Duen was his best friend, but that did not come automatically. It came with knowing him for a long time and Duen proving that he was trustworthy and a good guy. It was the same for all of his friends.

When King started to befriend him, Ram tried to fight it. He did not know why the senior wanted anything to do with him. Ram thought that if he ignored him, not talk or respond that would cause King to give up, but he didn’t. King just kept on coming back. It was a bit unnerving at first because King was persistent. He kept greeting him in the courtyard. He kept helping him with his homework. He kept coming around when Ram was not expecting it. He found Ram on social media. King started texting him and they started having conversations. Ram started to realize that King was able to fill the silence and that he enjoyed hearing King’s voice. 

When Duen had said the seniors were at King’s house, Ram was totally down to go. He had been feeling sad and uncertain about what to do with the situation around his dad and he was tired of thinking about it. Ram thought being around King may make him feel better. When they got to King’s house, King looked like he was in a good mood. He welcomed Ram but immediately noticed something seemed to be bothering Ram. King greeted Ram.

“I didn’t think you would come, too,” King had observed Ram and noticed that something was off.

“What are you thinking about? Your eyebrows are all stuck together now.”

That was when King brought Ram to his “secret place.” It was the place that King liked to go and relax at when he felt down. Not only was the place beautiful, but it was very meaningful for King. Sitting peacefully next to King made Ram feel 10 times better than he had been feeling all day. Ram was impressed with King’s ability to use plants as a metaphor for life and as his way of trying to help Ram with his troubles. 

When King showed Ram the purple flower, King was helping Ram realize that things may be tough now, but will likely get better, and turn out okay. King putting the flower behind Ram’s ear brought warmth in his heart and confirmed that his feelings for King were more than platonic. The thoughts about his dad were still there but his P’s words were reassuring for him. King really did understand Ram.

Ram wanted to share what was going on with his dad, but there was never a chance for them to be alone during dinner or afterwards. Ram started to say something to King about his dad, but his friends wanted to go. 

Now, he is home, wishing he was with King right now. 

*******************

“That’s it! I’m going to text him,“ King says to himself.

King took a deep breath and tried to think about what he wanted to say. In the end, honesty was the best policy.

 **KING:** _Cool Boy! I’m worried about you. Were you trying to tell me something before you left tonight?_

 **Cool Boy:** _…._

 **Cool Boy:** _Yes, but don’t worry about it, P’. It’s not that important._

**KING:** _You didn’t look like you were okay when you left. I just want you to know that I am here for you if you ever need anything, okay?_

Ram hesitated. He didn’t want to burden King in the middle of the night. 

**Cool Boy:** _Thanks P’. Goodnight._

 **KING:** _Goodnight Cool Boy._

Ram and King didn’t sleep well that night. Both kept tossing and turning, thinking about each other. King thought about what could be bothering Ram. He thought that Ram had mentioned something about his dad. Could his dad be sick or ill? Did they have a fight? What about his dad could be so upsetting? Ram kept on thinking about how he was going to talk about his dad to King. Both Ram and King’s racing thoughts kept them up for hours until they succumbed to exhaustion and went to sleep.


	2. Long Walks, Thunder, and Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, long walks with the dogs can help clear your mind, until you realize you have been gone for hours, your phone is dead, and it is probably going to start pouring rain. Ram feels discouraged about his situation until someone shows up to his rescue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written when the Episode 11 Teaser came out and was my interpretation based on what little scenes were given at the time. This is where the story went a direction of its own and will not be following the timeline exactly like the series. 
> 
> Again, sorry for any typos or grammatical mistakes. I'm trying my best! Enjoy!
> 
> Some quotes used were taken from My Engineer Episode 11 teaser (english subtitles).

On Saturday morning, Ram woke up, took a shower, and got dressed. Every Saturday, he goes to his family home to visit his dogs and his family. He wants to confront his dad but is afraid he might punch him in the face. He can’t believe his dad would cheat on his mom. He wonders if his mind was playing tricks on him and that it was not his dad he saw going into that hotel with that woman.

He hung out with his mother and brother all day, keeping busy doing chores and helping his mom around the house. He hadn’t realized that he had not seen his dad the whole day. “Where’s dad?”, he asked his mom. His mom replied:

“Oh. Your father had a lot of things to do at work, so he is going to be gone for most of the day. Hopefully, you can see him later.”

Ram was pissed. He wondered if that was some sort of excuse for his dad to go meet up with that woman again. He couldn’t be there anymore or else his mom would figure out something was bothering him. He decided to take his dogs out for a walk. His dogs were excited because he hadn’t taken them out for a walk in a long time.

Ram kept on thinking about his situation. He replayed seeing his dad walk with that woman into their car and drive to that love hotel. He always thought his parents loved each other so much. They were from two different cultures and had pleaded with their families to be together and they had made it work for over 20 years. Ram could not understand why his dad would do that to his mom.

****************

Ruj was hanging out at home and playing video games when his mom called him to dinner.

“Ruj! Dinner! Have you seen your brother? Is he home yet?”

Ruj was confused. His brother had left a few hours ago with the dogs. He went to his brother’s room and looked for the dogs and they were nowhere to be seen. 

“Weird”, he thought.

He went to the kitchen to talk to his mom. 

“Mom, I haven’t seen Ram. I guess he has not come home yet. I will try to call his phone and ask him when he is coming home.” His mom nodded in agreement. Ruj got his phone and called Ram but it kept on going to voicemail.

“Where is P’Ram?”, he wondered.

Ruj decided to call Duen to see if he had seen him. Duen was taking a nap with Bohn when he received Ruj’s call. They were exhausted after making dinner at King’s house last night and because they spent a long day shopping. Duen heard the ringing and answered his phone.

“Hello”

“Hello, P’Duen? This is Ruj. Have you seen my brother?”

“Nong? I’ve been out all day and I have not heard from him. When was the last time you saw him?”, Duen asked. Bohn started to wake up after hearing Duen talking on the phone. Ruj answered.

“P’, I have not seen him for hours. He took the dogs for a walk and has not come home. P’, I’m worried. It’s late and getting dark outside and it looks like it is going to rain.” 

“Is Ram missing?”

“P’, my brother usually answers his phone when I call, and he is not answering. This is not like him. I’m really worried.”

Duen and Bohn looked at each other to figure out what they could do to help Ruj. 

Bohn suddenly had an idea.

“Tell Ram’s brother that we will contact P’King.” 

Duen agreed. Bohn’s car was in the shop so they could not leave the condo, but they could try to find someone else who would be willing to help. King and Ram have been studying and eating out together a lot lately, so maybe he could help find Ram.

“Nong, we are going to contact P’King to see if he can help find Ram and get back to you, okay?”

“Oh, thanks, P’! I hope P’King can find him! Please let me know if you find out anything.”

Ruj and Duen hung up the phone. 

*************************

King was at home helping his mother doing some gardening outside when he received a call from Bohn.

“King! What are you doing?”

“I’m gardening with my mom. Why? What’s up?”

“Ruj, Ram’s brother called Duen. Ram is missing. He has been gone for a few hours and is not answering his phone. His family is really worried. Duen and I would have helped, but I don’t have a car to go searching for him. Can you help?”

As soon as heard that Ram was missing, he was instantly worried and would do anything to help.

“Of course, I’ll help. I’ll take my car out and go searching around the local parks.”

Duen got on the phone and informed King where Ram lived and some of the places that Ram has been before. King was appreciative of the information. He told his mom about the situation and she told him to be careful. He got his car keys and left home immediately.

“Where are you, Cool Boy?”

***********************

Ram noticed that he must have been walking for a while because the sun was no longer out, and he was at a park a bit far from his home. Ram was so zoned out thinking about his family situation and taking care of his dogs that he didn’t realize that so much time had passed. He took his phone out to try to call his mom but realized that his phone was dead. Then, he heard some thunder. It looked like it was going to rain.

Ram moved him and the dogs under the awning of a public restroom to keep them from getting wet. He was worried. His dogs were well-behaved, but they still got fearful sometimes with thunder. With a dead cell phone and not having a car to drive them home, there would be no way they would make it home dry. They were going to get soaked. Ram bent down and petted his dogs. “I guess we are going to have to wait until someone walks by to borrow a phone or wait here until the rain stops,” Ram told the dogs. Ram sighed. It was going to be a long night.

************************

King remembered that there were several parks near their university and Ram’s parents’ house. King drove to the first park. He got out of his car and ran all over the park and did not find anyone. He went up to a few people and asked if they saw a young man with three dogs, but everyone he talked to had said no.

He got back in his car and thought about what could have happened to Ram.

“What if this has to do with what he was telling me about his dad? What if something bad happened to him? What if he got beat up? What if he’s hurt?”

King was freaking out. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. 

“Let’s think about this. Ram is tough. He can fight and he can defend himself. Plus, he has his three dogs with him, so I doubt someone would mess with him. Maybe his phone died. Maybe this has nothing to do with his dad.” He took another deep breath and told himself, “Okay, King, we can do this. We can find Ram. Let’s think smarter, not harder.”

King thought about Ram. When he saw Ram yesterday, he was very distracted. He was zoning out at times and not paying attention to people around him during dinner. If he was as distracted as he was yesterday, then Ram would likely not be making turns or going to a specific place. He most likely would be walking aimlessly in one direction. King also knew that he had been gone for a few hours. There would be no way that he would walk more than 2 miles an hour with his dogs. King decided that he would try going down one direction from Ram’s house about 6-10 miles to see if he could find Ram walking along the street or at a park. 

King turned on his engine and started driving. He had decided to go North first but found nothing. The streets were very busy and there were no parks, so there would be no way Ram would walk the dogs in that direction. King then decided to drive East and found it to be mostly industrial buildings. He could not find Ram or the dogs anywhere. He then drove South. He ended up going towards some rural areas where there were farms, but no Ram and no dogs.

“Well, there was only one more direction to go.”

King drove West. He ended up in a suburban area and after driving 5-6 miles, noticed some signs for a park coming up. King followed the signs to the parking lot and got out of his car. The park had a large pond in the middle of it and had areas for picnicking. There were walking paths going through the park and signs for a dog park, a gazebo, and a garden.

“Oh, they have a garden!” King perked up and almost got excited. 

“Wait, King, we need to find Ram first,” King told himself, shook his head, and decided going to the dog park would be the best approach. As he started walking down the path, he heard thunder in the distance. He needed to find Ram quick or he and the dogs are going to be stuck somewhere until the rain clears.

King stopped abruptly. The dogs! With everything going on, he completely forgot that Ram had his dogs with him. King remembered Ram’s brown eyes and how sad he looked yesterday, and all he could think about is wanting to take care of him and make sure he was okay. 

“Okay, King, we are going to do this! We are going to help Ram no matter what, even if we are freaking out inside!” King told himself. 

King started walking again. As he walked down the path, he realized that the park was very beautiful. The path King was on winded past the pond. Trees, as well as lighting, lined the path. The landscaping included different types of plants and flowers to look at. 

“Wow, the ambiance of this place is kind of romantic. I love trees, flowers, and fauna. I need to come back here during the day! Maybe I could come back here with Ram.”

Thunder snapped him out of his floral trance and King noticed that there was a restroom coming up. As he went down the path, he noticed that a young man was standing under the awning of the building with a purple backpack and a cream jacket holding three dogs.

King sighed in relief but wondered how he could get close enough to Ram without getting close to the dogs.

He decided to use the building to put himself between him and the dogs, so he walked up to the building, took a deep breath, and yelled:

“Cool Boy, what are you doing here?” Ram turned around and saw King. A clap of thunder sounded overhead. “It’s going to rain!”

Ram looked up and saw the sky. It looked like it was going to rain. He then looked at King. He had been stuck in the park for some time now and King found him. 

“How did he know I was here?”, Ram thought.

King stared back at Ram. He still had that sad, puppy dog look on his face. All King wanted to do is make that sad face go away and make Ram smile at him.

“How am I going to do this?”, King thought. 

“Cool Boy, I’ve been looking all over the place for you. Your family is looking for you. I have my car on the other side of the park. Let’s go!”, King insisted.

Ram could not believe it. He thought he was going to be stuck at this building until tomorrow. King came for him and found him. His heart fluttered. 

He turned around and started walking toward King but realized that he had his dogs with him. King saw the dogs. He was frozen and could not move. His eyes were wide and looked so scared. Ram realized that he needed to figure out how to get him, King, and the dogs back to King’s car.

Ram decided to walk his dogs away from the building on the path and extended their leashes.

“Stay!”, Ram told his dogs. The dogs obeyed their master and sat with their tongues hanging out of their mouths.

He held the leashes in his left hand and walked up to King and grabbed his wrist. King looked up and stared into Ram’s face. Ram stared back and tried to express how much he cared for King in that look. He slightly pulled on King’s wrist to move and Ram pulled King to walk with him along the path. Ram pulled slightly on the leashes and his dogs started walking behind him, a few feet away.

When King realized the dogs were a few feet away, he started to back away from them, but Ram held firm to his wrist and made King look at him. Ram held King’s gaze, telling him with his eyes to focus on him. Ram would not let the dogs harm him. King got lost in Ram’s beautiful eyes while Ram slowly pulled King down the path with his dogs following. King’s eyes focused on Ram’s eyes and the warmth of Ram’s hand on his wrist. 

King was so enamored of Ram that he did not realize that Ram had pulled him past all the flowers, the pond, and was close to the parking lot.

When he noticed they were in front of his car, King blinked and looked back at Ram, who was smiling at him. He shook his head. He also noticed that the dogs were behaving and were a few feet away from him. 

“Cool Boy, get in the car. I will take you and the dogs home. You can sit in the back seat with the dogs.”

King would not be able to drive with the dogs in the back seat walking around or with Ram in the front seat. It was too much stimulation. He figured that if all of them were in the back seat, he could just focus on the road instead of how much his heart would race looking at Ram or at how close the dogs were to him.

Ram shook his head and took out his cell phone but then realized that his phone was dead. He was going to have to talk.

“P’. You don’t have to take us home. If you let me use your phone, I can call my mom to pick us all up.” Ram knew that being around the dogs was hard for King and did not want to burden him any more than he already had.

“Nonsense. If you and the dogs can get in the back seat, I can focus on the road. Come on! It’s going to rain soon!” King quickly got in the front seat and made a face at Ram that he better get in the car. 

Ram looked at his dogs and went on the opposite side of the car and opened the rear door. He made his dogs go in first and then he climbed into the middle seat so that the front seats would block the view of the dogs if King had to use his rearview mirror. They were all in the car, but King wasn’t moving.

“P’?” 

King was gripping the steering wheel tightly and his eyes were tightly shut. He took a few deep breaths and opened his eyes. 

“Okay, let’s go!”

King started driving and was doing okay until they got to a stoplight and saw one of the dogs in his rearview mirror. His eyes went wide and promptly started looking in front of him. 

King decided to turn on the radio. “Everything” by Scrubb was playing on the radio. King loved that song! He started bobbing his head to the music and singing along. When it got to the chorus, he started singing loudly and he looked at his rearview mirror and was surprised to see and hear Ram sing along with him. It was not as loud, but he was singing. A huge smile came across his face as he let himself relax to the music and looked back again to see Ram smiling widely at him. King’s heart skipped a beat. 

After listening to a few songs, they ended up in front of Ram’s house. King unlocked the doors and Ram and the dogs jumped out of the car. King rolled down his window to say bye to Ram but Ruj ran out of the house!!

“P’Ram! P’King found you! We were so worried! What happened? Oh, never mind! I’ll take the dogs inside and get them some water.” Ruj exclaimed and took the dogs from Ram, but halfway to the front door, he turned around.

“P’King, thank you for finding my brother! You have to come in and eat dinner with us! Mom and Dad will want to meet you!” 

Ram nodded his head agreeing with Ruj. 

“No, I should go home. I don’t want to impose on your family…” He couldn’t finish what he was going to say because Ram went up to his car, opened his door, and rolled up his window. He stared at King with his puppy dog eyes and King turned off his ignition and grabbed his keys. Ram grabbed his arm and King felt the warmth of Ram’s hand bring shivers up his arm. Ram pulled him gently out of the car and closed the door. King locked it and they stared at each for a few seconds before they heard thunder. 

All of a sudden, the rain finally started pouring. Ram grabbed King’s arm and pulled him while running up to the front door. When they got to Ram’s porch, they looked out at the rain. It was a downpour! They then looked at each other. King and Ram were drenched. Their hair was all over the place, their clothes stuck to their bodies, and water was dripping everywhere. They were a mess! But Ram’s hand was still holding King’s arm. He was just about to release King when King put his hand on top of Ram’s. Ram stared at King's hand and felt warmth spread throughout his entire body. Ram's eyes moved slowly from King's hand, up his arm, along his neck, and to his face to find that King was lovingly smiling at him. Ram smiled back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram can't eat dinner with Ram's family with wet clothes, can they?


	3. Of Showers, Little Brothers, and Dog Paws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram are soaked to the bone after King finally got Ram back to his family home. King is invited to come in to eat with the family, but both him and Ram have to get dry first.

King and Ram continued to smile at each other on the porch, getting lost in each other’s eyes when Ruj opened the door and smiled knowingly. Ruj couldn’t wait to tease the two P’s.

“P’Ram! P’King! Are you coming inside?”

King and Ram jumped apart and let go of each other at hearing Ruj’s voice. King tried to divert Ruj’s attention.

“Hey Nong, can you go get us some towels? We are dripping everywhere!” Ruj looked at them and realized that they were completely soaked.

“Sure, P’! Be right back!”

King and Ram looked at each other again. Ram reached over to King and moved his hair off his forehead. King looked up into his face and smiled brightly. Ram thought that King was so beautiful. 

“Oh! Ram! You are all wet!! And your friend is all wet, too! Here are some towels!” said Ram’s mom, who ushered them into the house. Ram looked at Ruj who was standing behind his mom with his arms crossed and teasingly smiling at his brother. Ram gave him a murderous look.

King recognized Ram’s mother from the picture he saw on Social Media, wai’d her, and greeted her respectfully. He was a bit nervous meeting Ram’s parents, but decided he better just be his usual charming and friendly self. Parents love King! He smiled to her and attempted to speak to her in English, 

“Good evening. My name is King. It is very nice to meet you.” 

“It’s very nice to meet you, too! Please come in!” Ram and King took the towels and started drying off before they stepped into the house.

“Ram, I didn’t know you had a friend that was so handsome!” Ram looked at his mom and then to Ruj, who continued to smile and have a twinkle in his eye. Ram gave him a hard stare.

“Thank you.” King didn’t know what else to say.

“No, thank you, King, for finding Ram and the dogs! Ruj had stated that Duen told him that you were more than willing to help find Ram.”

King looked at Ruj, who smiled and nodded in agreement with his mom. He couldn’t look at Ram without blushing. He could feel Ram staring at him but then Ram’s mom started speaking.

“Ram bring your friend to your room. You should both take a shower, so you don’t get sick. Give King some dry clothes to wear. When you are done, come back to the kitchen and I’ll heat up the leftovers from dinner. You both look famished!”

Ram nodded and grabbed King’s wrist. They walked down the hall to Ram’s room. King noticed pictures along the walls. There was a cute close up of Ram when he was about 10 years old, hugging a dog. He saw another picture of Ram and Ruj when Ruj was about 6 years old dressed in their school uniforms. He was in awe of all the pictures. He then came across a picture of a baby, lying on its tummy, naked, with a toothless smile. The baby’s butt was showing, and it looked like there was a little birthmark the shape of a dog paw on the top of his left butt cheek. The baby was so cute and adorable! 

“Hey, Cool Boy, who is this cute little baby? Is it you or Ruj?” Ram turned around and looked at the picture. His eyes went wide and he started pulling King faster towards his bedroom. King dug in his heels and was able to stop Ram from moving any further. Ram turned to look at him and King looked into Ram’s eyes. 

“Cool Boy, that cute baby was you, wasn’t it?” King knew it was Ram! He could totally tell by the baby’s eyes. Ram’s neck started to turn red and he turned around to start pulling King back to his room when King stopped him and leaned into Ram’s personal space.

“Cool Boy, do you still have that dog paw birth mark? It’s so cute! Can I see it?” King said to Ram, raising his eyebrows. Ram turned even redder and quickly walked to his room while King smiled widely and laughed. 

“Hey, I was just kidding!” King followed Ram into his room. Then, he stopped amazed at the beauty of it. Ram had this huge window from floor to ceiling on the whole wall on one side. His king size bed was near the window, likely so he can look out to his backyard and parts of the city. From his window, Ram could see the lights of the city and could look up into the night sky. His furniture was all dark wood and the walls were painted in an earthly tone. There was a huge dog bed at the bottom of his bed. Off to the left was a door to the bathroom. Ram was standing at a side table and pressed a button. The cream drapes on each side of the window were slowly drawing to a close. He pressed another button that turned on some lights that illuminated the room, and then turned a knob to make them dimmer.

Ram then went to his walk in closet and grabbed one of his briefs, shorts, and a shirt. He grabbed another towel and put them all in King’s arms. He then pushed King towards the bathroom.

“Oh, Cool Boy, you want me to go first? Okay, okay! I'm going.”

******************** 

King closed the door and Ram sighed. 

“I can’t believe I forgot that picture of me is out there. How embarrassing!”, he thought to himself. Ram figured that there was nothing he could do about it now and so he decided to take some of the stuff out of his bag and put them away. He remembered to plug in his phone with his charger.

“P’! What happened? How come you were gone so long?”, Ruj said while walking into his brother’s room.

“I got sidetracked walking the dogs. I was just thinking about school and all the things I have to do”, Ram told his brother. He did not want to burden his brother with the information about his dad. He wanted to take care of it himself and protect his brother as much as possible. 

Ruj knew something was bothering his brother but he didn’t push it. Ruj knew he was smart and would figure it out eventually.

********************

King liked Ram’s bathroom. When you walked in, the walls and floor looked like gray marble. The shower area was long with a huge tub at the end. There were shower knobs on one side with a shower hose and on the opposite side had 3 shower nozzles in the wall. The ceiling was wood and had recessed lighting surrounding a big square showerhead inside a skylight. King stripped down and turned on the water.

“Wow! It’s like a rain shower!”, King said. King played with the different features for a few minutes, then decided he better hurry up so Ram can take a shower also. He dried himself off with his fluffy towel and looked at the briefs Ram gave him. They were black short boxer briefs. 

King swallowed and brought them up to eye level. “Ram wears these briefs?” His mind came up with a vision of Ram with nothing on except the short boxer briefs. He was imagining see Ram’s bare arms and chest, toned abs, and those briefs fitting tightly around his strong thighs and his firm butt. 

King shook his head. He had to stop zoning out or Ram might think he is doing something while in the bathroom since he is taking so long. King quickly put on the briefs, the shorts, and the shirt, picked up his dirty clothes and walked out of the bathroom.

************** 

Ram heard the door open and turned around as King walked out. King was wearing one of Ram’s dog shirts that read, “Bad to the” on the top row and a doggy bone on the bottom. He was wearing basketball shorts and was holding his dirty laundry in one hand and slicking back his wet hair with his right.

Ram had a big smile on his face. He thought King looked so cute in his clothes. They were a little bit big on King, but he looked good in them. King was saying something to him, but he didn’t hear him. King stopped talking and Ram looked up at his face.

“Like what you see?”, King said as he wiggled his eyebrows. Ram was shocked that he got caught staring and rushed past King into the bathroom and closed the door. 

Ruj watched the whole scene with amusement and shook his head. King finally realized that Ruj was in Ram’s room. 

“Oh, P’, let’s wash your wet clothes. Follow me,“ Ruj said while he led King down the hallway to the laundry room.

*****************

Ram leaned back against the bathroom door and took a deep breath. He couldn’t believe that he got caught staring at King. He couldn’t help it though. King looked so adorable in his clothes and being around him made him feel so good inside.

Ram started undressing and got in the shower. The sooner he got clean, the sooner he got to spend more time with King. 

He got some shampoo and started massaging it through his hair. It started to relax him, and it allowed him to think about what happened today. A frown came started to form on his face because he soon realized that the situation with his dad had impacted him to a point that he left home without knowing where he was going and was so occupied in his thoughts that he lost of track time. This was bad. He needed to figure out what to do.

He grabbed some soap and started lathering his body. He started washing his chest, then his arms, his legs, and so on. He loved his shower. He loved looking up his skylight and allowing the steaming hot, rainlike shower cleanse him of all his worries. The water was so soothing and relaxing it was like as soon as the water touched his hair, his worries and thoughts would be pulled down his hard chest and back, past his abs, down his strong legs, and disappear down the drain.

Ram felt better. He turned off the water and grabbed a towel and started drying off. He then looked around the bathroom. 

“Where are my clothes!” Ram had run so quickly into the bathroom after King’s teasing that he had left his clothes on his bed. 

******************

While Ram was showering, Ruj had brought King over to the laundry room to put his clothes in the washer.

“P’, you can put your clothes in here. We can wait for P’Ram to get out of the shower so he can put his dirty clothes in before we start it, okay?”

“Sure.” King put his clothes in and followed Ruj back to Ram’s room. As soon as Ruj walked into the room, he noticed that Ram left his clothes on his bed. He suddenly had an idea. He walked up to the bed and put Ram’s clothes back in his closet.

Ruj knew that something was going on with Ram and King. Ram wasn’t very interested in other people, except for his close friends like Duen or Phu. When Ram started texting his senior, looking at pictures of him, and spending time with him alone, Ruj was curious. He went to Ram’s school and met King and liked him instantly. When King was willing to help find Ram, Ruj knew that King really cared for his brother’s welfare. Based on their interactions since King returned Ram home, Ruj is absolutely certain there is more to their junior/senior relationship, even if King and Ram don’t fully realize it yet. 

“P’, you can stay in my brother’s room and sit on his bed until he gets out of the shower. He has some books on the shelf you can look at. Please come to the kitchen when you guys are ready to eat.” King nodded. Ruj smiled and left, closing Ram’s bedroom door behind him and thought proudly to himself, “A little push in the right direction can make a big difference.” 

***************** 

King went up to Ram’s shelf. He picked up one of the books and brought it to the bed to skim through while he waited for Ram. 

****************** 

Ram started thinking about what he should do. His didn’t have any clothes to change into. All he had was this towel. Ram had a scowl on his face.

“Man, I wouldn’t be in this position if I hadn’t been caught staring and King teasing me about it!” Ram suddenly had a thought. Maybe King should have a taste of his own medicine.

Ram wrapped the towel low around his waist. He combed his hair, put some deodorant and cologne on, and looked one last time at himself in the mirror. He then grabbed his dirty clothes and grabbed the doorknob.

King was getting into reading Harry Potter, when the bathroom door swung open.

Ram walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist holding his dirty clothes. The knot holding his towel up swung low on one side and looked like it was going to become undone. King noticed that Ram’s hair was still wet and had the urge to get up and touch it. Ram had moved his head a little and he noticed some drops of water fall from his hair onto his shoulder. He watched as drops move in slow motion down past Ram’s chest, down his abs, and down his happy trail until it got lost in his towel. King swallowed. 

Ram noticed King staring at him and smirked. 

“I guess I am not the only one who likes what they see”, he thought.

King followed Ram with his eyes as Ram walked to the nightstand, watching drops of water from Ram’s hair go down his back towards his butt.

“I wonder if he still has that birthmark.” King pondered.

Ram picked up his phone and typed a message.

King got a notification and checked his phone. 

Cool Boy: Like what you see?

King froze and slowly looked back at Ram. King sat there and considered the question. Yes, King very much liked what he was seeing. He knew his feelings for Ram were getting stronger, but he honestly did not know what to do about it. 

When he had put his hand on Ram’s on the porch, it just felt right. Now, in a room with a hot, mostly naked Ram, he felt like his brain had short-circuited and he was unable to focus.

Ram left the room to put his dirty clothes in the washer. He threw them in, turned it on, and went back towards his room. As he walked in and closed the door, King hadn’t moved from the spot he left him.

Ram walked up to him and waved a hand in his face. King still didn’t move.

“I was just trying to tease him. I didn’t want to break him”, Ram thought to himself. 

King was at eye level with Ram’s abs. He honestly was wondering if Ram’s abs were as hard as they looked. His brain was sending signals to his hand to reach out and test it out but then someone knocked on the door and both King and Ram broke out of their trance.

“Ram. Are you and your friend changed? Come to the kitchen to eat!”, a man said.

Ram’s dad was home. That meant that Ram would have to be around his Dad, and he didn’t think he could do it without getting upset or angry. 

King immediately noticed a change in Ram’s demeanor after he heard his dad’s voice. He didn’t want Ram to be sad like he was yesterday. King decided at that moment that he would do almost anything for Ram if he asked him, even help Ram with the situation with his dad.

Ram’s head was down, and he looked defeated. King stood up and tilted Ram’s chin up so they could look at each other.

“Cool Boy, you were fine just a second ago. Is this what you were starting to tell me yesterday? Something about your dad?”

Ram nodded. King then held Ram’s cheeks in his hands.

“I know it may be hard to talk about whatever is going on with your dad, but I want you to know that I’ll always be here for you whenever you need me. I care about you a lot and I don’t like seeing you this way. Just let me know what you need.”

All that Ram needed at the moment was King. Ram hesitated for a few seconds and then moved his arms around King’s waist to bring him closer to his body. Then, he tilted his head forward, so their foreheads touched. They stood there holding each other until Ram gave King a small smile. King then rubbed Ram’s nose in an Eskimo kiss before pulling back. Ram was surprised and looked at King, who smiled at him fondly. Ram felt instantly better. 

Ram moved his forehead forward again and rubbed his nose against King’s before winding his arms tighter around King’s waist, making their chests press together. King wrapped his arms around Ram’s shoulders and started rubbing his back. 

Whatever stuff goes on with his dad, Ram knew he will deal with it eventually. He knows that he could rely on King to support him through it. Right now, having King with him was all he needed.

King savored the feeling in Ram’s arms as they continued to hold each other, but then realized that he was being held by strong arms against Ram’s naked upper body and that he was touching warm skin on Ram’s back.

“Cool Boy, are you going to get changed, or are you going to show me that birthmark of yours?”

Ram yelped and ran into his closet to change, leaving King amused.

King knows that Ram will talk to him about whatever is bothering him when he is ready. Whatever the situation is with his dad, King will make sure that he is there to support Ram no matter what. Although King and Ram are still trying to figure out whatever this thing is between them, they both know that their relationship is getting stronger and that they are the happiest when they are together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this was all over the place! Hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Eating, Stargazing, and Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram are going to eat with Ram's family, including Ram's dad. Ram doesn't want to be there. It ends up being a rough night overall, but King and Ram get through it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have figured out, I am working scenes from the actual episodes (10 and 11) into this fic and modifying them for my purposes. 
> 
> You may also catch some hints of other BL dramas if you squint...
> 
> Happy Reading!

King smiles as he watches Ram run into the closet to change. While he waits, he looks around Ram’s room and notices Ram’s desk. Some papers and folders were laying on top of it. He noticed a packet of familiar lecture notes on the very top of the stack.

“Cool Boy had used my notes! I hope he did well on his Calculus exam.”

He then noticed that Ram had left his bag open from the park on his desk chair and it looked like he had neglected to take some things out of it. At the corner of his eye, he noticed some leaves and it made him curious, so he looked into the bag. King’s eyes widened. It was a flower pot. He took it out of Ram’s bag.

It was the Venus fly trap! It had grown to about 5 inches in diameter and had about six leaves with a trap at the end. King was so happy that Ram took care of his gift. He must have followed King’s instructions.

Ram opens the door to find King happily studying his Venus fly trap, touching its leaves, and talking to it.

“Why hello! Look at you! You’ve grown so big. I remember when I was harvesting you”, King said while rubbing some of the leaves. Ram looked at King with affection. King loved plants so much. Ever since he received it for a gift, Ram had been putting extra care in taking care of it. Ram walks up to King’s side.

“It grew so big!”, King said amazed looking up at Ram. Ram nodded in response.

“Did you bring it with you when you walked the dogs?”, King asked. Ram nodded again.

“I am surprised you brought this with you” King said while continuing to look at the plant's leaves and nodes.

Ram looked at King and replied, “It’s important to me.”

King looked up from the plant to look at Ram, and both of them became shy. King looked back at the plant and put it down on Ram’s desk.

“Cool Boy, we better head to the kitchen. Your parents are waiting for us.” Ram tensed. King looked at Ram, whose head was down and seemed hesitant to leave the room.

King tilted Ram’s chin up.

“I know that there is something bothering you about your dad. I’ll be there with you the whole time. Not to worry. I’ll try to make up an excuse, so we don’t have to be with them that long. Okay?”

Ram took a deep breath and nodded. Ram grabbed his arm and led King out of his room and down the hallway to the kitchen.

****************** 

King noticed that Ram’s house was a mix of modern and homely. The hallway opened up to the front room where they entered and to the right was a sitting room with a big window that viewed their front yard. They went further down the house and got to the kitchen.

Ram’s mom and dad were standing in their huge kitchen together, talking about their day. Ruj was sitting on a barstool at the kitchen counter joining in on their conversation.

Ruj noticed that Ram and King were walking into the kitchen and welcomed them.

“P’King! P’Ram! You finished showering! Let’s eat! Mom heated up the pasta and garlic bread we had earlier. Dad just came home from a dinner meeting and brought over some Japanese food, too.”

Ram became rigid when he heard that his father had gone to a dinner meeting. He couldn’t trust that his father was telling the truth. He wondered if his father was with that woman again. He looked at his mom and Ruj. They were smiling and happy and had no clue that this man, the man whom they all loved, was betraying his family. He had to protect them. He didn’t want them to feel what he has been feeling.

King looked at Ram and it bothered him that Ram was so upset. They had to get through this meal, so King decided he would run interference. King wai’d Ram’s parents and turned to Ram’s dad.

“Sawatdee krap! I’m Ram’s senior, King. Nice to meet you.”

“Sawatdee krap! Welcome to our home. Sorry I was not here to greet you earlier. Like Ruj said, I was at a dinner meeting for work, but I brought a bunch of food home. Please enjoy.”

The family walked over to the table to sit down. Ram’s dad sat at the end of the table, with Ram’s mom sitting next to him. Ruj sat next to his mom. The plates on the dining table were piled with food. There was a large platter of noodles that were in a creamy parmesan sauce topped by thin layers of chicken. There was some crusty, fresh garlic bread on another plate and garden salad in a bowl next to it. The food from the Japanese restaurant consisted of platters of sushi, tempura, and yakisoba.

All Ram wanted to do was eat and get away from his dad. He grabbed King’s arm and brought him to the other side of the table to sit down. King wanted to keep Ram away from his dad, so while they were walking, he attempted to slow Ram down and whispered to him, “Cool Boy, I’ll sit next to your dad okay?” Ram nodded. Then, he spoke aloud as he sat down.

“Thank you so much for welcoming me into your home.”

“Oh, you’re very welcome. Do you mind if we speak English? My wife understands Thai but does not speak it very well.”

“Sure. I don’t mind. I have taken a few English classes myself. I apologize if I may be a little rusty.”

King then started making small talk with Ram’s parents to keep his dad from talking to him directly. He asked questions about the house while the family started taking food from the platters. As he listened, he observed Ram’s parents.

Ram’s mom was very beautiful. She was small woman and smiled often. Ram had her expressive eyes. She had long dark hair that flowed down her back. She looked like she really took care of everyone in the family. Ram’s dad was handsome. He had a medium build and seemed fit. His hair was black, peppered with gray, that made him look dashing. He had a mustache and a thin beard along his jaw line. It was no wonder why Ram was so good looking. He was the perfect combination of the two.

King looked back at Ram, who looked at him questionably, then shrugged. While King and Ram’s parents talked, Ram started scooping up some pasta onto King’s plate and then on his own. King noticed and gave him a whispered thanks and continued talking about the architecture of the house with Ram’s dad. Ram then grabbed a piece of garlic bread for each of them. He completely ignored the Japanese food. He didn’t want to eat anything that his dad brought. As he grabbed his fork, he looked up at Ruj, who was smiling at him. Ram made a face at him and kicked him under the table and Ruj yelped. King and Ram’s parents looked at Ruj.

“Sorry. I think I must have gotten bitten by a mosquito.”

Ruj then started putting food on his plate. His mother passed him some pasta, salad, and garlic bread, and then some of the Japanese food. When Ruj got what he wanted, he called out to his brother.

“P’, would you like some tempura? They have shrimp, your favorite.” He started to hand the platter over to Ram.

“Um, no thanks. I just had Japanese food the other day.” He grabbed the platter from him and passed it to King. The tempura looked like it was going to be tasty, but he wanted to maintain solidarity with Ram and stick to his mom’s food.

“Oh, King, please take some of the tempura. It’s really good. You’re going to like it”, Ram’s dad said. King looked at Ram and then Ram’s Dad. He grudgingly took a piece of tempura so he wouldn’t come across as disrespectful.

“Thanks, sir”, King replied. King felt bad about taking the tempura. He looked over at Ram who was not even looking up from his plate. Ram had his head was down and was trying to just focus on eating and not listening to the conversation at all. He didn’t want to be near his dad or hear his voice.

“So, I understand you are Ram’s senior. You both just had exams this past week. How did you do?”

Ram stopped eating and looked at King. He was wondering how King did. He knew King was smart, but still was curious as to how well he did. King looked back at Ram briefly, then looked back at Ram’s dad.

“I did pretty well actually. I made top marks on all of my exams. I’m ranked first in all of my classes” King shared proudly. Ram wasn’t surprised. School was so easy for King. It was a piece of cake for him.

“Ram, how did you do?”, Ram’s mom asked. King looked at Ram.

“I did very well, mom. King had been helping me with my homework and had given me copies of his old exams and his first year lecture notes,” Ram responded. He remembered that day very clearly. King had gotten scared by that dog at school and he offered all those things if Ram could get the dog away from him. That was the first day he went to King’s plant filled apartment.

“Good job, Cool Boy!” King exclaimed. He was glad that Ram had done well on his exams despite everything going on with his family.

King continued to eat and talk with Ram’s family when the doorbell rang.

“Who could that be? Ruj, can you go get the door?”, said Ram’s mother. Ruj got up and went to answer the door. King could hear a female voice talking to Ruj.

Ruj walked back into the kitchen with a pretty, young lady with long light brown hair. She was dressed nicely in shorts and a fitted light blue shirt. King thought she looked familiar but couldn’t remember where he saw her from.

“Oh, Pin, what brings you over? Is everything okay?”, Ram’s mom asked.

Pin. King remembered now. This was Ram’s neighbor. The girl that liked every picture that Ram posted on Facebook. This was the girl that King had asked if she was Ram’s girlfriend and Ram avoided the question.

Pin wai’d Ram’s parents. She saw Ram and happily waved at him and he smiled widely at her. Ram got up from the table and went to go talk to her. King suddenly felt like someone punched him in the chest. No wonder Ram got shy when King asked about her. This must be whom Ram likes.

King felt embarrassed. He has now come to the conclusion that the flirting and the teasing was just that. It didn’t mean anything. King thought that Ram probably just needed a hug earlier because he needed support from a friend and that was what King was. He was his senior and nothing else. King had rubbed their noses as a sign of affection, but now he feels stupid about doing that. Maybe Ram just repeated the action just because he did it. King made up his mind that he had to leave. He didn’t think his heart could take it. He didn’t want to be there anymore.

King overheard Pin explaining to Ram that she needed to go to pick up some medicine from the pharmacy, but her car suddenly would not start.

Ram’s dad overheard the conversation and stood up.

“Pin, let me take a look at your car. I’ll see if I can fix it so you can pick up that medication.” He looked at his wife, who agreed. “I’ll be right back, dear.” Ram’s dad gestured for Pin to walk to the front door.

Pin said thanks to Ram’s mom, said bye to Ram, Ruj, and King, and walked out with Ram’s dad following her. Ram watched them leave.

King decided that this would probably be a good time to leave. He stood up and spoke to Ram’s mom.

“Thank you so much for the food and hospitality. I will just go grab my clothes and head home.”

Ram spun around. He didn’t understand why King was leaving. They hadn’t even put their clothes in the dryer yet. It was getting late and he didn’t want King to go. Ram’s mom spoke before he did.

“King, I think your clothes are still wet. I also wouldn’t feel comfortable with you driving home so late. Why don’t you stay here for the night?” Ram looked at King and nodded resolutely.

King wanted to leave. He didn’t want to see Ram smiling at that girl anymore. He didn’t want to have these feelings for Ram if he didn’t feel the same way.

“I really don’t want to impose. I’ve already worn out my welcome.”

Ram blocked King’s way from leaving and grabbed his arm. King looked up at Ram. Ram had his long puppy dog face on display.

“P’, please stay.” King continued to stare at Ram for a few seconds. He sighed. When Ram looked like that, King couldn’t say no to him. King knows that Ram is struggling right now. Regardless, he still wants to be there for Ram. King knew he couldn’t leave, not when Ram needed him.

“Okay, I'll stay.” was all King said.

His mom smiled. “Great! Go ahead and put your clothes in the dryer and get ready for bed. Ruj and I will put everything in the kitchen away.”

“Thanks mom”, said Ram as he pulled King to the laundry room. He transferred their clothes to the dryer. King waited outside of the laundry room until Ram was done.

Ram and King went back to Ram’s room. Ram went to his side table and pressed the button to open up the drapes. Ram and King stood by the window together looking out to the city and the night sky. King looked at Ram, who had a dejected look on his face.

“Cool boy, it looks like the rain has stopped. Do you want to go outside for a few minutes to get some fresh air? Is there somewhere you like to go to get away?”

Ram looked at King. King never ceased to amaze him. Ram didn’t have to say a word and King would know what Ram needed. He felt stifled in the house. With all these emotions he had been experiencing, he just wanted to get away.

Ram acknowledged King with a nod and grabbed his arm. Ram led him down the hallway out the front door. King loved being outdoors. He took a deep breath in. He loved the smell after it rains. King started talking while they were walking:

“I love the smell after it rains. You know the smell comes from a combination of plant oils and a chemical compound which are released from the soil when it rains.” King continued to talk while they walked, explaining how soil was important for plants to grow. Ram just listened attentively. King’s voice was very soothing to him. It was distracting him and helping him relax.

They walked around the front of Ram’s yard down a path that lead to a fenced courtyard. It had big trees and potted plants arranged around the perimeter. King stopped by a few of the potted plants. He noticed the water droplets on the flowers and the leaves. Seeing the droplets brought a smile to his face because the plants were getting what they needed to grow.

“Good evening. How are you?”, King said while petting the large leaves.

King then followed Ram to the center of the courtyard where there was a bench in front of a garden full of flowers bushes and plants. Ram brought him over to the bench to it to sit down. King looked around and liked the place immediately. After a few minutes, Ram spoke.

“This is not really my secret place, but it is the place I like to come to when I have things on my mind. Sometimes, Pin, will see me from her house, and come out to talk to me.”

King started to frown when he heard Pin’s name and thought about how Ram’s neighbor must have comforted him plenty of times in the past. King took a deep breath and responded to Ram.

“She must be a good friend”, King said. Ram looked at King questionably. Was King looking sad?

“She is”, Ram responded. King saw a leaf on the ground and picked it up. He started to run his fingers over the leaves. Touching leaves always made King feel better and gave him comfort. Ram watched King. King looked crestfallen.

“But she doesn’t understand me as much as you do”, Ram admitted. King looked up at Ram, surprised that Ram thought that way. Ram looked at King like he was the only person in the world. King cleared his throat.

“Um, good.” King was overwhelmed by his emotions. He was starting to recognize that his feelings for Ram were not platonic, but he was not sure if Ram felt the same way, especially with how close Ram was to Pin. He then tried to change the subject. He looked up and the once cloudy, rain filled sky wasn’t so anymore.

“Wow, the night sky is so clear after the rain”, King pointed up to the sky. Ram leaned his head back and looked up into the sky.

When Ram was little, they owned a telescope and they used to study the stars. He hadn’t done it in a long time. He was enchanted by all the stars he could see. He found the Big Dipper and started to look for a bright “W” in the sky.

“P’, do you see that those stars that seem to form a “W” in the sky?”, Ram pointed to the sky. King followed his finger and looked for the stars. King nodded. “That’s the constellation, Cassiopeia. Now, look on the lower right of it for stars that look like a house with a roof leaning to the right. The stars are not as bright. That’s Cepheus.”

King was able to find Cassiopeia and after searching on the lower right, he tried to find the other constellation.

“I think I found it”, King said. He was mesmerized by Ram’s voice. Ram had never talked this much to King about anything before, but he could tell that Ram was eager to share his knowledge with King. He smiled at him encouragingly.

Ram continued, “When I was a kid, our family would try to find constellations. I always loved the stories behind why they existed. One version of the story of King Cepheus’ and Queen Cassiopeia’s constellations is that, although she loved her husband, Cassiopeia was vain and loved power. She ended up getting one of the gods mad to the point that she was punished to stay in the sky forever. Cepheus, who loved his wife and was overcome with grief, asked the gods to place him in the sky to be reunited with his wife. The gods obliged and flung the King up there with his Queen, where they have been together ruling the sky ever since.”

King and Ram continued to look at the sky.

“For Cepheus to love his wife, despite her faults, and to want to be with that one person forever. One can always hope that you find a love like that.”

Ram commented, “I don’t know. I do believe in soul mates, that there is one person who just gets you, who connects with you in mind, body and soul, who loves you unconditionally, and who is there with you through good times and bad times. I think that kind of love is very possible, but relationships are two ways. It takes two people to decide if they want to be together and it takes two people who want to make it work. If both people are not invested in that love, that love, that relationship will falter.”

King was still looking up at the stars and nodded his head, then looked at Ram. Ram was staring at him. They were getting lost in each other’s eyes, both looking into each other’s souls, both wanting to say something, but then they were interrupted by a “ping.”

Ram got a notification on his phone. He took out his phone and looked at it. It was a notification from Pin of her holding hands with another person. Her post said:

“We will hold hands forever.”

King watched Ram open up the notification and asked, “What is it?”

Ram stared at the picture, clicked on it and made it larger. The other person’s wrist had a silver and gold watch on it. Ram remembered his last visit home where his mom had mentioned she got his dad’s silver and gold watch fixed. He then remembered the last conversation with Pin in the courtyard.

Pin had said, “Everyone has a good side and a bad side, but whatever they did, they must have had a reason.” Ram looked at the picture again. He tried to remember when he saw his dad drive to the hotel. The woman with him had light brown hair like Pin.

King looked worriedly at Ram as he kept staring at the picture.

King put his hand on Ram’s shoulder and asked again, “What is it?”

Ram showed King the picture. King looked at it confusedly. It was Pin holding hands with some guy. His first thought was, “Well at least she is not interested in Ram.” He wondered if Ram was upset about her dating someone else.

Ram suddenly stood up and grabbed King. They walked past the garden up a path. King asked, “What are we doing?”

There was a driveway going up to house and there was a row off bushes along the side of the property. Ram brought King over to them to hide behind. King looked at Ram and was about to question him again when Ram put his hand to King’s lips and shushed him. He pointed to the car in the driveway.

King and Ram both noticed that there were two people in the car, but they couldn’t see who. Then, they saw Ram’s dad get out of the passenger side of the car. Pin then got out of the driver’s side. She turned on her alarm and they started talking to each other in front of the car. She started laughing about something Ram’s dad said and slapped his arm.

Ram could not believe what he was seeing. This confirmed that his dad and Pin were having an affair. Ram wondered how long this has been going on for and couldn’t understand how they could both do this to his family.

King was watching the scene with scrutiny. He questioned why Ram’s dad would be in Pin’s car. He thought that his dad was supposed to fix it. He didn’t understand why they were laughing and being so comfortable with each other.

King and Ram continued to watch Ram’s dad and Pin’s interaction until Pin went up to Ram’s dad to give him a hug and starts kissing him on the lips.

King was shocked and looked at Ram. Ram was furious. Ram couldn’t watch this anymore and King knew it. He needed to get Ram out of there before he seems more or reacts badly.

“We’ve seen enough. Let’s get out of here quickly”, King suggested. Ram could not move from the scene. He was feeling a multitude of emotions at once. Ram continued to stare at his dad and Pin and King could tell that Ram was going to blow his gasket. He needed to act and so he pulled Ram from behind the bushes and rushed him through the courtyard, up the path and back into Ram’s house. Once they were back in the house, he took a deep breath and led Ram silently down the hallway to Ram’s room.

King opened the door and immediately froze. Lying on the dog bed at the foot of Ram’s bad, were his three huskies. Ram wondering why King stopped, looked past him through the door and saw his dogs. He quickly moved King behind him and closed the door. He faced King.

“I’m sorry. I can bring them to my brother’s room. They just like sleeping in my room when I’m home”, Ram said.

“It’s fine, they can stay, so you don’t get lonely, right?” Despite being scared about the dogs, King smiled at Ram, trying to reassure him that he was okay, even when he wasn’t.

Ram looked at King seriously and countered “But you are scared of dogs.”

King stuttered, “It’s fine. Don’t worry. You can stay here with the dogs. I can go sleep on the couch or something.” Ram shook his head.

“P’, whenever my friends stay at my house. They stay with me in my room.” Ram opened the door. He gestured to the bed. “My mom already put extra pillows and blankets on my bed for you. Do you want me to move the dogs? I can.”

“No, I’ll be okay. It’s fine”, King replied. King cared for Ram deeply. King knew tonight was going to be hard for Ram. Ram needed all the comforts he can get, and King knew his dogs did that for him. If King had to sleep in here with dogs, he will, even if he has to sleep in the walk-in closet or the tub in the bathroom.

Ram looked at King’s face, but King was determined. King smiled at Ram but was freaking out inside. He would be sleeping in a room with Ram, this guy he is starting to have feelings for, and with 3 dogs, who scare him to death. He wondered what else would be next.

Ram hesitantly agreed with King and nodded. He was actually touched that King would be willing to sleep in his room with the dogs despite being scared of them. Ram decided that he is going to get King used to the dogs so he could do stuff with all 4 of them, the ones who understood him and supported him the most in the world.

Ram led King into the room and told his dogs to stay. The dogs looked up but then put their heads back down. King stayed behind Ram as they walked over to the walk-in closet to get some pajamas.

Ram handed King some pajamas and pointed to the bathroom. King took the pajamas and went to the restroom to change. While doing so, he got a notification from Ram.

**Cool Boy** : There are some extra toothbrushes and toothpaste in the medicine cabinet.

King went to the medicine cabinet, got a toothbrush, and brush his teeth. When he came back out, he opened the door slowly and looked out to see if the coast was clear. He noticed the dogs were still on the floor.

“It’s all yours. Should I lay out the blankets on the floor? On the other side of the room? Or in the closet?”, King said jokingly.

Ram looked at King. Ram thought King was so cute when he was like this. He grabbed his clothes and walked past King into the bathroom and closed the door. King then got a notification and checked his phone.

**Cool Boy** : The dogs sleep on the floor. They are not allowed on the bed.

King’s eyes grew wide and realized he was alone with the dogs. He backed himself near the wall and jumped on the bed. There was no way he could sleep on the floor with those dogs. He sat on the bed with his back to the headboard and tried to steady his breathing. He closed his eyes and kept telling himself that Ram would be back soon.

Ram came out of the bathroom and put his clothes away. King watched him as he sat on the side of his bed, looking out of his window. Ram was wearing black pajama bottoms and a gray t-shirt. His hair was flat against his head without any gel in it. King thought it made him look younger. Ram continued to sit there for a few minutes. He then turned around, looked at King with sad eyes, and asked King a question.

“Why haven’t you asked me any questions about what has been happening with me?”

King responded, “There is no need. I kind of guessed that something was happening.” Ram turned back around and looked out the window.

“I knew there was something that hurt your feelings bad at home. You’ve been holding everything that has been going on in and you can’t tell your friends or anyone about it. That’s why you ended up wandering around with your dogs”, King concluded. Ram looked back at King.

“You’re quiet. That means my guesses are right.” Ram looked down. King didn’t want to push him to talk if he wasn’t ready. He knew Ram needed time to process everything that had happened on his own first before he sought King out. King decided to encourage Ram to go to sleep by doing so himself. King pulled down the covers and got into bed. He looked back at Ram to say,

“Switch off the lights when you go to bed okay.” King then laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.

Ram continued to stare out the window. He thought about his friend, Pin, whom he has known since he was a kid. He thought about his dad, whom he loved and always looked up to. He could not figure out how two people that he loved dearly would harm not only Ram’s mom, but him and Ruj. Ram had been internalizing all of his emotions and trying to manage them but confirming that his dad and Pin were having an affair, put him over the edge. He couldn’t handle it anymore. He squeezed his eyes shut to stop himself from crying, but his tears started to flow down his cheeks. He then started sniffling. One of Ram’s dogs woke up and saw his master in distress. He walked over to Ram and put his head on his knee. Ram continued to cry while petting his dog’s head.

King heard Ram crying and sniffling and pulled the covers down. He crawled across the bed until he got behind Ram. He hesitated about what to do but decided to squeeze Ram’s shoulder for support. Ram looked up at King with his red, tearful eyes and said,

“Today, my father and my best friend betrayed me. I didn’t want to believe it, but now it is confirmed that they are having an affair. What should I do?” Ram looked down and continued to look out the window and cry.

King thought about it. He didn’t know what to do. He responded, “I don’t know, too.”

King squeezed Ram’s shoulder reassuringly. King continued, “But I will be here for you, until you feel better.”

King then touched the top of Ram’s head. Ram looked up at King’s face, who gave him a smile, and Ram started to cry more. King patted his head as Ram continued to let all the emotions that he was keeping inside, out. King then turned Ram’s body slightly, opened his arms and brought Ram’s head to lay on his chest. Ram continued to cry and whimper for a few minutes before he brought his arms around King. Ram held onto the back of King’s shirt like a lifeline, while King rubbed his back and talked soothingly to him.

When Ram started to calm down, King grabbed Ram’s shoulders delicately and moved him back so he could see his face. King held Ram’s face with his hands and looked into his red eyes. King wiped Ram’s tears with his thumbs. King then took his right hand off of Ram’s face and started running his hand through Ram’s hair, sometimes rubbing his scalp. Ram’s breathing started to slow down and he seemed to be calmer.

“Do you want to go to bed now?”, King asked delicately. Ram nodded his head. He felt exhausted.

King moved the covers down and helped Ram get into bed. He turned off the lights, then laid next to Ram. He then brought the comforter back up to cover both of them. He turned on his side to face Ram, while Ram was on his side facing King.

“Are you okay?”, King asked. Ram shook his head. King looked at Ram’s face and saw all the sorrow there. They laid there for a few minutes.

“P’, I don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep”, Ram said dejectedly.

All King wanted to do was hold Ram and make all the bad stuff go away, but he also didn’t want to push himself on him, especially if Ram didn’t like him in that way. He decided that he would risk it and give Ram the choice.

King looked at Ram, brought up his left arm near the pillow, and patted his left shoulder in a silent invitation to Ram to lay with him. King thought, “If he wants to be close to me, he will move into my arms. If he doesn’t, he will just stay on his side of the bed.”

Ram looked into King’s kind eyes and understood that King was giving him permission to be held but he couldn’t move.

After a few seconds, King figured that Ram didn’t want to be close to him and started to move back to his side of the bed, but Ram grabbed his arm. King turned back to Ram and watched as Ram scooted over to his side of the bed. Ram laid his head on King’s shoulder while wrapping his left arm around King’s torso. They snuggled a little until they were both comfortable.

“Thank you, P’”, Ram whispered.

“No Problem, Cool boy. Now, go to sleep”, King replied.

King rubbed Ram’s shoulders and back lightly to try to relax him. Ram rubbed his face on King’s chest. King smelled good. King then started rubbing Ram’s scalp again. Ram’s eyes started closing and was starting to fall asleep until King’s hand stopped rubbing his head.

“I like…”, Ram mumbled with his eyes closed. King turned his head slightly towards Ram and responded, “Hm?” He started rubbing Ram’s head again and slowly running his hand through his hair.

Ram looked up at King and said, "I’m saying that I like when you rub my head like this.” Then, Ram closed his eyes. King continued to rub his head until Ram fell asleep. King then kissed Ram’s forehead before getting comfortable under the covers holding Ram. Ram slept peacefully in King’s arms for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit given to Why R U and the Zon/ Saifah scene that was modified for Ram/King at the end. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. A Morning Waking Up In Your Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the morning after Ram's long, emotional day. He should have woke up terribly after everything that happened, but waking up in King's arms was something he wouldn't mind doing more often. Too bad there were important things to discuss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who don't catch it, there is a reference to an interaction between King and Ram in Episode 9 in this fic modified for my entertainment purposes. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!!!

The first thing Ram noticed was that he was super comfortable. He rubbed his head against the warmth and breathed in the masculine scent that smelled so good to him. Then, the pillow moved a little. 

Ram froze and opened his eyes. He slowly lifted up his head. The first thing he noticed was that it was still dark out. King was laying down on his back with his head on the pillow. Ram’s left arm was across King’s torso and King’s right hand was on top of Ram’s arm, like he wanted to keep Ram there. King’s left arm was on Ram’s back. Ram realized that he and King had been holding each other the whole night. 

He stared at King’s face. He’s done it plenty of times before, but not with King being so still. At this close, he was able to see King’s features in detail. Ram started with King’s eyebrows and realized that there was a cute arch to them. It made him want to run his fingertips along them. King’s eyes were closed, but his eyelashes were so long that they seemed to lay on his cheek. His cheek looked smooth and soft to the touch. King’s nose was cute as a button. Ram then looked at King’s lips. They were pink and luscious and he had the urge to put his own lips to them.

He put his head down back on King. Ram remembered what happened last night and how King held him until he fell asleep. King unconsciously hugged Ram tighter. Ram listened to King's heartbeat as he continued to lay his head on his chest. His eyes started to get heavy and he fell back to sleep. 

*******************

A few hours later, King eyes started to slowly open. He blinked a little and tried to recognize his surroundings. There was a heavy weight on his chest and he looked down to see a head of brown hair. He suddenly remembered last night and how he invited Ram to be in his arms. Ram fit perfectly there and he enjoyed holding him all night. It just felt right.

King thought about what had happened in the last few days. From sharing his secret place, to searching for Ram, eating with his family, looking at the stars, discovering Ram's dad and Pin together, a lot of things have happened the last few days. 

Being out with Ram in the courtyard surrounded by the flower bushes, trees and potted plants and looking at the stars was the most romantic thing he ever experienced. King thought they were going to have a heart to heart at that moment but Ram got that notification from Pin. Then, everything went downhill.

He looked at Ram's head. He was worried about him and how he would be coping this morning. He thought about how Ram asked him what he should do. King wondered if Ram was not only upset about his dad cheating on his mom, but if Ram was upset that Pin was with his dad instead of him. 

Ram had said they were close but never defined his relationship with Pin. Why would Ram need to? They were just friends. That was the problem. 

King had initially befriended Ram because he was interesting to him. He started tutoring, eating meals with him, and hanging out with him more. King liked spending time with Ram. King started to care for and be concerned about Ram’s welfare. After the roller coaster of events this weekend and waking up with Ram in his arms, King had confirmed to himself what he was suspecting for some time now. He had feelings for his Nong. King was pretty sure he wanted to be more than just friends but he didn't know if Ram was even interested in him in that way. 

It was starting to get late in the morning, so King decided that it would probably be best if he woke Ram up. King started to rub Ram's scalp and Ram started to wake up.

"Cool Boy. It's time to wake up", King said quietly.

"Ten more minutes", said Ram. Ram was very comfortable in his current position and didn’t want to move. He then started cuddling with King more. King cuddled back and looked down the bed. He then noticed three dogs facing them and his eyes widened.

"Cool Boy. I think your dogs may need to go out. They are staring at us", King shared with Ram. Ram opened his eyes and lifted his head. He looked at his dogs and then back at King.

"Stay", Ram commanded to King. He got himself out of the bed and called his dogs to follow him out of his bedroom. King stayed as he was told. He chuckled a little and thought to himself, “He told me to stay like I’m one of his dogs.”

King decided to sit up so his back was against the headboard. He started to wonder how Ram was going to respond to what happened last night. He was feeling a little nervous. He wasn't sure if Ram wanted to talk about things this morning or not. He started to consider all the possibilities while waiting patiently for Ram's return.

********************* 

With the dogs wanting to be taken outside, Ram had to get up and take care of them. He opened his bedroom door and took them out to their backyard. He made sure they were okay before slowly heading back to his bedroom.

Taking the dogs out gave him a few extra minutes to think without being distracted by King. Ram still had a lot of things on his mind. He was still very upset about his dad and Pin. He had no idea what he should do about it besides keep it to himself and protect Ruj and his mom. He was glad King was here. King had said last night that he didn’t know what Ram should do either. Ram was hoping that King may be able to help him brain storm possible ideas. King seemed to talk out loud when he tries to solve problems and that was what Ram needed. 

The other reason he needed to leave was because he was enjoying being held by King a little too much. The more time he spends with King, the more Ram doesn’t want to be away from him. Thinking about that moment in the courtyard, alone, looking at the stars, surrounded by plants, was a scene straight out of a romantic movie. At the time, Ram was on the verge of getting up the nerve to talk to King about their relationship when he got that notification from Pin and ruined it. It was another reason to be pissed at Pin. 

Ram knew how he felt. The more he spent time with King, the more he wanted to be in a relationship with him. He did not want to be just a junior and a senior anymore. He wanted to be lovers. King understood him, read him like a book, and knew his needs. King gave as much as he took. When Ram started talking about soul mates under the stars, he realized that King was that for him. Ram was quiet whereas King talked a lot. Ram was shy and reserved, whereas King was outgoing and talkative. King takes care of Ram when he has difficulties. Ram takes care of King when it comes to dogs or when King needs help. King and Ram both worry about and care for each other. They balance each other out. 

Still, he did not want to assume and wanted to get it straight from King in case he was reading him wrong. Sure, King flirted and teased him all the time. He obviously shows that he cares for Ram and is very supportive. He also gave Ram that cute Eskimo Kiss yesterday, and what senior would do that to his junior? If King was completely opposed to the idea of getting together, he would not have held and cuddled with Ram the whole night. Ram wouldn’t mind cuddling with King more. Ram got to the door and stopped. He hesitated and took a deep breath before turning the door knob.

*****************

King was thinking to himself when he heard Ram’s door opening and then closing. Ram walked up to the bed and sat down facing King. They both looked at each other, but neither wanted to speak first.

Ram didn’t know how to start. He started looking down at his lap. He then felt a hand go through his hair, rubbing his scalp occasionally. He savored the feeling of King’s hands and closed his eyes. Then, a voice got his attention.

“Cool Boy, you don’t have to say anything if you aren’t ready to. I know that you are trying to keep the burden of knowing about your dad and Pin to yourself so your mom and your brother will not feel the pain that you are feeling. That may be a large undertaking though. I know you feel betrayed by both your dad and Pin. They both seem like people you love and care for. If it would help, I am here for you if you want to talk about it so you are not keeping it all inside. At least, if you talk it out with me, I can hold some of those emotions for you or at least help you process them or figure them out. I don’t mind taken some of that burden off of you. At least you won’t feel like you are all alone in this. I’ll be in it with you.”

Ram looked up at King and saw that King was being serious and sincere. Ram nodded and sighed in relief. King being willing to help him figure things out put him at ease. King may be what Ram needs to help him through all this. 

King leaned closer to Ram and continued, “Sometimes when I’m trying to figure out a problem, I try to lay out all the facts, brainstorm possible solutions, identify the positive and negative consequences, and, based on all that information, execute a solution that I’m okay with. The facts I do know is that I saw you at dinner the other day and you were fine. On Friday, after exams, you came to my house and I could tell something was bothering you to the point that I was worried about you when you left. Yesterday, I get a call stating that you are missing for hours and find you at a park a ways from your house, sad and upset. I’m not sure if telling me what happened between the dinner with me at the restaurant and the dinner at my house would help you.”

Ram thought about it. He had been holding in what he saw that night after his dinner with King and it was eating him inside. Maybe talking about it with King would help him.

Ram sat there for a second and took a deep breath. “Okay,” Ram said. He looked down in his lap again.

“After you had left to go buy something, I saw a man, who I now know was my dad, and a Thai woman with long brown hair, getting into an SUV that looked like the one my family owned. I got on my bike and I followed the SUV when it drove off.”

Ram looked at King. “P’, I followed them to a love motel.” King was shocked. This was way worse than what he saw at Pin’s house. Flirting and kissing was one thing, but having sex was a whole other level. Who knows how long they have been having this affair?

King absorbed the information. “So, you knew when you came to my house?” Ram nodded. “No wonder you looked so distraught. You were going to tell me, weren’t you? Before you left with Ting and your friends?”, King questioned. Ram nodded again. 

King shook his head. King knew it! He was so worried about Ram that he ended up texting him that night. 

“When I asked you about it, you told me that it wasn’t important”, King said.

“I didn’t want to burden you”, Ram replied and lowered his head. 

King didn’t want to make Ram feel worse. King grabbed Ram’s hand.

“Cool Boy, you are never a burden to me. I know you have a tendency not to talk. It would have been 10 times harder to talk to me in person or via text about this.” Ram nodded again. King let go of Ram’s hand and patted his shoulder.

“So, you didn’t know it was Pin when you saw your dad go to that love motel?”, King asked. Ram shook his head. 

King took a few deep breaths and attempted to address what he has been wondering. “You said Pin is your best friend and that you are close. She likes all your pictures that you post and you both follow each other on social media. She has comforted you when you have had problems since you were young. Are you heartbroken that she is with your dad?”

Ram looked at King. “Yes, P’, I’m very heartbroken that she is with my dad. She’s my friend. She has known my family for years. My mom treats her like she is part of my family. She and my dad betrayed all of us.”

King clarified and stammered, “No, no, Cool Boy, are you also heartbroken that she is with your dad instead of you?” 

Ram blinked. He blinked again. He was confused. “Why would I be heartbroken that she is with my dad instead of me?”

King explained, “Remember, I had asked you if she was your girlfriend and you kept avoiding the question. You were so mad when you saw her with your dad. I thought maybe you liked her more than a friend. I thought you were heartbroken because you had wanted her to be your girlfriend and now that is not going to happen.” 

Ram stared at King in disbelief and said, “What are you talking about? I’ve never liked Pin in that way.”

“So, why didn’t you deny it when I asked you?”, King asked.

“I felt embarrassed and thought you were going to tease me”, Ram admitted.

King was internally relieved and tried to play it off, “Oh, okay.” King looked at his hands in his lap.

Ram looked at King earnestly and said, “She was my best friend, but like I told you last night, she is close to me, but does not understand me as much as you do.” Ram felt like everything was going to be laid out on the table now. He was hoping to get some information out of King.

“Why did you want to know so badly if she was my girlfriend?”, Ram inquired.

King became defensive and stuttered, “I was curious. You’re my Nong. I care about you and want to know what is going on with your life, including people you may be interested in. Plus, I enjoy teasing you” King smiled at Ram playfully. 

Ram responded, “So, you only consider me and care for me as your Nong? You only wanted to know if I had a girlfriend so you can tease me?” 

King explained, “No, that’s not what I meant. You are more than a Nong to me. I have gotten to know you. You know, you are hard-working, handsome, considerate, and loyal…”

Ram interrupted him while smiling, “You think I’m handsome?” 

King made an expression on his face like he was going to deny it but then rolled his eyes and said, “You know you are handsome. You always have girls coming up to you.”

King continued, “You are strong and helpful. You look out for me when there are dogs around. I help you with schoolwork and eat meals with you on a regular basis. It feels weird when I don’t see you or talk to you. I think we are a lot closer than a junior and a senior. Don’t you think? Maybe you are the one who only cares about me and thinks about me just as a senior.”

Ram looked in King's eyes, shook his head, and disagreed, "That's not true!"

King said teasingly, “Are you saying that you think of me and care about me more than just your senior?” 

Ram made a face and pushed King’s shoulder with his right hand, “P!”

King grabbed his arm before Ram could pull away and pulled Ram closer to his body. King then grabbed the back of Ram’s neck with his right hand and pulled Ram’s face close to his. King held Ram’s neck while he sealed Ram’s lips with a kiss. Ram was shocked but then closed his eyes and kissed King back. After a few seconds, they pulled their heads apart and looked at each other.

Ram looked at King and gave him a shy smile but with acceptance. King looked at Ram with his eyebrows questioningly, asking with his eyes if it was okay to continue. Ram continued to smile shyly and King smiled back. King thought that it was a go and went in for another kiss. Ram brought his hands to King’s face while King put his arms around Ram’s back. King and Ram’s lips moved against each other. King slightly opened his mouth and Ram took the opportunity to slip his tongue into King’s mouth. King did the same and they allowed themselves to experience the electricity, intimacy, and passion of that defining moment in their relationship.

They both had to stop to get some air. They released each other’s lips and slowly moved their heads apart. King looked at Ram before slowly moving his forehead forward so their foreheads touched. 

“De ja vu, “ Ram said to himself. He looked at King and King gave him a small smile. Ram then rubbed King’s nose in an Eskimo kiss before pulling back. King then leaned in for a peck on Ram’s lips. Ram looked back at King and leaned in to give him a quick peck on King’s lips. King leaned in and nibbled on Ram’s bottom lip. Then, Ram grabbed King’s neck and smashed their lips together in a fiery kiss.

King slowly brought them apart, “I think it’s safe to say that we both like each other more than just a junior and a senior.”

Ram nodded his head in agreement. He definitely liked King.

King asked, “Are you not going to say anything?” Ram shrugged. 

“Are you back to not talking when you are with me?”, King asked. Ram shrugged again.

“Say something,” King demanded.

“Something, “ Ram said. King huffed.

“Not just that, say more than something”, King demanded.

“More than something,” Ram responded. Ram was doing this again, but King knew where this was going.

King glared at Ram. “You trying to annoy me?”

Ram looked at King and said, “You trying to annoy me?”

King said, “Come on.”

Ram responded, “Come on.”

King smiled, “I like P’King.”

Ram responded back, “I like…” and looked at P’King who was grinning ear to ear. 

“P’King”, Ram finished the sentence.

King teased Ram, “So, you do actually like me?”

Ram looked at King. King smiled widely and stated, “I like P’King. King is cute. King is the nicest person in the world”, encouraging Ram to respond.

Ram remembered that last time he just ignored King and walked away. He decided to wipe that grin off King’s face.

Ram put his hands on King’s neck, rubbed his thumbs on his cheek, and said softly, “I like P’King.” He then leaned in. King closed his eyes as Ram kissed his forehead lovingly. Ram leaned back and King and Ram stared into each other’s eyes. 

“P’King is cute”, Ram said next. He then leaned forward and kissed King’s nose. Their foreheads touched. They looked into each other’s eyes and rubbed their noses together devotedly. 

Ram then whispered, “King is the nicest person in the world” then leaned into King for a kiss. King brought up his hands to grab onto Ram’s shirt and they continued give each other open mouthed kisses until they couldn’t breathe anymore.

King leaned his head back onto the headboard. “Wow.” Ram gave him a smug look.

“Cool Boy, you’re stuck with me now. We can’t go back to just being junior and senior. So, will you be my Cool Boy and I will be your King?” 

Ram nodded vigorously and smiled.

“Let’s go get breakfast. I’m starved, “ King suggested. King grabbed Ram’s arm and pulled him off the bed. He put his arms around Ram’s waist and Ram hugged him in return. Ram smiled, grabbed King’s arm, and pulled him out of his bedroom towards the kitchen.

As they walked, King thought about how they would eventually have to deal with Ram’s situation with his dad. King looked at Ram smiling at him and King returned the smile. Ram’s situation was difficult, but he would get through it. He isn’t alone. King will be there to help Ram through it when he is ready to deal with it. For now, King and Ram were content with being with each other and looking forward to having their first breakfast together as a couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you like the confession and their eventual make out session? I know they kind of glossed over the affair, but it's not going anywhere and they can deal with it when Ram's ready.
> 
> Credit is given to the movie, Clueless, for the modified first kiss scene.
> 
> I have no experience writing kiss scenes, so I hope it turned out okay.
> 
> I hope this chapter didn't suck.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Breakfast and a Workout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunday mornings at his family home usually consists of Ram doing an intensive work out. Since King was with him, he wanted to make sure to provide some food for the starving King and maybe see if King would be willing to hit the gym with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for Solangelo_blitzstone_cures_my_depression. Hope it doesn't disappoint! 
> 
> This is a break from the seriousness of Ram's family situation. I hope you enjoy it!

Ram continued to pull King to the kitchen. King was surprised to find it completely empty as if nobody had woken up this morning.

“Cool Boy, doesn’t your family eat breakfast on Sunday mornings?”, King wondered. 

“My dad is probably at work or somewhere”, Ram briefly gave a meaningful look at King. “My mom goes to church on Sunday mornings and volunteers afterwards. My brother sleeps in usually until the afternoon”, Ram shared.

“So, what’s for breakfast?”, King asked. Ram brought King to a pot sitting on the stove.

“Congee? Did your mom make this?”, asked King. Ram nodded. Ram’s mom always makes breakfast for him and Ruj before she leaves. Ram had King sit at the kitchen counter while he got his breakfast ready.

Ram opened up the refrigerator, took out the eggs and showed them to King, with his eyebrows raised. 

King responded, “One please.” Ram nodded, took 1 egg out of the container and put the eggs away. Ram then walked towards an appliance on the kitchen counter.

“What is that?”, King asked curiously. 

“Rapid Egg Cooker,” Ram replied. King watched as Ram prepped the appliance to poach his egg. While it was cooking, Ram got some napkins and utensils out of a drawer and placed them in front of King. He then went back to the refrigerator, and took out a bottle of orange juice and a bottle of coconut water and looked at King to make a choice.

“Orange juice, please, Cool boy”, King responded. Ram put the Coconut water away and grabbed a bottle of water and put it on the counter. He grabbed a glass and poured some Orange Juice into it and placed it front of King before putting the bottle of orange juice back in the refrigerator.

King watched Ram walk around the kitchen. His hair was flat on his head instead of how it usually had gel in it. It made him want to run his hands through it again. Gosh, King loved Ram’s hair. Ram was wearing his pajama pants low and a shirt. He didn’t look like the usual serious Ram he sees every day. He looked cuter and younger. He watched as Ram got a bowl out of the cupboard and ladled the congee into it. A loud beep went off and he unplugged the egg cooker. Ram took off the lid and used a spoon to scoop the egg into the bowl. He brought the bowl to King and put it in front of him. That’s when King noticed something.

“Wait. How come I’m the only one with a bowl of breakfast and Orange Juice? Aren’t you going to eat breakfast?”, King asked.

Ram grabbed King to pull him out of his chair. Ram put the bowl of congee and glass of orange juice in each of King’s hands. King looked at the stuff in his hands, then looked back at Ram.

Ram smiled, stepped closer to King, put his arms around King’s waist, and gave King a peck on his lips. Ram then let King go, grabbed the napkins and utensils, and then he nodded his head to the left. He started walking out of the kitchen and gestured to King to follow him.

King was frozen for a second before he realized that Ram had left the kitchen. 

“Why are we leaving the kitchen? Where are we going?”, King exclaimed as he caught up with Ram.

King walked behind Ram towards the back of the house near the backyard. Ram opened a door and King immediately noticed that they were in the family’s workout room/gym There was a treadmill on one side facing a big window looking out into the backyard. There were mats on the floor. Along the wall, was a bunch of weights near a bench. King also noticed a whole bunch of boxing equipment: a heavy bag, a speed bag, gloves, wraps, jump rope, etc. 

Ram led King to a table with chairs and put the napkins and utensils on the table. Ram then grabbed King’s orange juice and congee and put them on the table. He gestured for King to eat and left the room. 

King sat in his chair confused for a second. 

“Where did Cool Boy go?”

**************** 

Ram left King in the workout room and quickly headed to his room. Ram usually wakes up by himself on Sundays to do an intensive workout. With his dad at work, mom at church, and brother asleep, he often finds himself on his own, so it became a habit to just work out to pass the time and keep in shape.

Ram has been boxing for years and is used to working out 3-4 times a week or more depending on if he had time and how he is feeling. He uses it as a way to get out some of his frustration and anger. Since he has had a pretty rough week with exams and with the situation with his dad and Pin, a workout this morning is what he likely needs to clear his head and to let some of his emotions out. 

Ram’s workouts usually consists of cardio, usually running and jumping rope, weight training, and hitting the bags. There is no way that Ram would want to spend all morning working out when King is here. He wants to spend time with his new boyfriend but he also feels like he needs to work out, too. 

Ram gets to his closet and puts on a red fitted cutoff Under Armor shirt. Then, he went to his drawer to look through his shorts. Besides boxing, Ram has had some training in Muay Thai. Although Ram doesn’t like the short length of the Muay Thai shorts, it did do wonders to expose his strong leg muscles. 

Ram has noticed that King looks at him just as much as Ram looks at King. The time in the park and after they took showers yesterday was a prime example of King going haywire just by looking at Ram. Ram feels pretty good when King gets like that. It confirms for him that King is attracted to him. Ram thinks that King is so cute when he gets overwhelmed and loses his ability to speak. It’s the complete opposite of the talkative, teasing, confident King. Ram feels the same way sometimes when he looks at King, he just hides it better. Ram wants to confirm if there are certain parts of his body King really likes to look at. 

Ram’s plan this morning is to also see if he could get King to spend time with him by helping him work out. Working out is important to him, too, and it would be nice to see if King would enjoy it with him. Ram got King a t-shirt and shorts to wear, just in case. He grabbed a bag and put the clothes in it. He grabbed two pairs of socks and put them in the bag. He then went to his bookshelf and found his new Venus Fly Trap book that he bought from the book store, put it in the bag, picked up his Venus Fly Trap from his desk, and placed it in the outside water bottle slot to bring over to the gym in case King decides he just wants to watch. King could take care of his Venus Fly Trap if he doesn’t want to work out with Ram. Ram didn’t care if King worked out with him or not. As long as they were together, he was happy.

He carried the bag out of his room and picked up him and King’s tennis shoes on the way to the work out room. 

***************** 

King started eating some of his congee and looking at all the equipment when Ram came back into the room.

Ram took off his bag. He took his Venus Fly Trap out and put it on the table. 

King immediately grabbed the plant and started talking to it and touching it’s leaves.

“Good morning! How are you? It’s good to see you again”, King greeted.

Ram smiled as King continued to talk to the plant. He took out the book on Venus Fly Traps and put it on the table. King put down the plant and picked it up.

“Cool Boy, did you buy this book?”, King asked. Ram nodded. King started looking at some of the pages. 

“Eat”, Ram encouraged. King had barely eaten any of his breakfast. 

“Okay, okay”, King responded. King left the book open in front of him while he spooned some congee into his mouth. Ram grabbed his socks from inside the bag and started putting on his shoes. King pointed at the bag and the shoes.

“What’s in the bag? Why are my shoes here?”, King asked.

Ram took out the shorts, shirt, and socks and put it on the empty chair near the table. He started putting his socks and shoes on.

“Wait! Do you want me to work out with you?”, King asked.

Ram’s eyes lit up with a small smile and nodded vigorously.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could have not eaten breakfast”, King asked.

Ram stared at King for a few seconds before he responded, “You said you were starving. I don’t want my baby to starve.”

King’s eyes grew big and he knew his face was starting to turn red. Ram had just called King his baby. King thought that was so sweet and that he may combust at any moment.

“I’m going to run maybe 2 miles on the treadmill. It won’t take long. Would you mind helping me with some drills and exercises after you finish eating? They aren’t that strenuous”, Ram asked, his eyes seeming to beg for King’s agreement. King could not say no to Ram.

“Okay. You finish your run. I’ll finish my breakfast and change”, King agreed. He grabbed his spoon and shoved some congee in his mouth and swallowed. 

Ram was so happy, he had a huge grin on his face. He jumped up, grabbed King’s face, and thoroughly ravished King’s mouth. He then moved his head back to look at King’s dazed expression.

“Hmm. Tasty”, Ram commented. He smiled in victory at King, then did a few stretches and got on the treadmill.

King sat there frozen for a few seconds until he realized he was zoned out again. He looked at Ram who was already at a running pace on the treadmill. From behind, King noticed Ram’s his strong legs, especially his muscular thighs. King started to move his eyes upward and landed on Ram’s firm butt. King then noticed the V-shape of Ram’s back. At this rate, Ram would be done before King even finishes his food.

King shook his head and focused on his food, occasionally looking at the Venus Fly Trap book and the Venus Fly Trap. He couldn’t look at Ram or he would end up not finishing his food. When he was done, he grabbed his food stuff, went to the kitchen, washed his dishes, and then came back to the work out room. He grabbed the clothes, socks, and shoes and went to change in the adjoining restroom.

*************** 

Ram was in his zone. He was listening to his workout playlist. He was feeling super pumped and better already. He was going to finish one more mile before he wanted to start doing some drills with King. 

He finished up his mile and turned off the treadmill. He looked around and King was nowhere to be found. King’s breakfast was gone and the book was closed. Ram figured that King had just gone to change. He grabbed a towel from a shelf and started wiping himself down. 

King came out of the restroom and announced his presence.

“Oy, Cool Boy, I’m here. What do you need me to do?”

Ram turned around and grinned. King was dressed in his t-shirt and shorts and had his shoes on. King ran his right hand through his hair then put his hand on his hips, waiting for a response.

King was a little nervous, but didn’t want to show it. King has never really been a guy who went to the gym. He was fine with his own physique and did get out to walk and stuff often. He was more nervous about whether he could keep up with Ram because it was pretty obvious that Ram was fit. Look at his body! That was the other thing King was nervous about: being in close proximity to Ram’s body when he is hot and sweaty. King wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to handle it.

Ram gave King a nod and then proceeded to take off his red shirt. King watched enthralled, as if he was doing it in slow motion. The first thing he saw was Ram’s toned abs. He then saw sweat glistening from Ram’s chest and down his arms. King watched as Ram used his shirt to wipe the sweat off and then threw the shirt in a nearby hamper. King gulped as he watch a bead of sweat go down Ram’s neck past his tattoo on his left pec. 

Ram grabbed King and brought him over to the bench. He grabbed some weights and added them to each side of the bar and locked them in place. Ram looked at King and pointed to the bar. Ram laid down, lifted the bar, and started bench pressing. King stood near Ram’s head and spotted him to make sure Ram didn’t drop the bar. From King’s view, all he could see was Ram’s body laid out in front of him. He noticed muscles, muscles, and more muscles. King decided he just needed to focus on the bar or he was not going to be helpful to Ram at all.

Ram was having a hard time also. He was lifting the bar but noticed that King’s legs were very close to his head. He could see King’s face seriously watching the bar and spotting Ram just in case he dropped it. King’s bangs were falling across his face and Ram wanted to move his hair out of the way to look at that face all day. He did a few more reps before putting the bar back on the bench. King made sure the bar was in place and stepped away from the bench. 

King really liked how Ram looked with no shirt on. Looking at his muscles made him want to touch them. King grabbed Ram’s towel. He stopped Ram before moving on to the next activity. King grabbed his shoulder with his left hand and used his right hand to start wiping down Ram’s neck. He then started slowly wiping down Ram’s chest. Ram closed his eyes as he savored the feeling of King using the towel to touch him. King watched as he moved his hand towards Ram’s abs and felt them tighten with his touch. Both Ram and King started breathing heavily as they stood in the middle of the gym floor. Finally, their eyes met again, and King leaned in to give Ram a slow, sensuous kiss on the lips. Ram grabbed King’s waist and pulled King to him to kiss him back, but then pulled away. Although Ram would like to spend all day kissing King, he wanted to finish his workout so that he can relax with him for the rest of the day.

Ram then walked towards his boxing equipment and picked up some focus mitts and gave them to King. King put them on and was looking at Ram with uncertainty in his eyes because he seriously did not know what he was doing. Ram rubbed his hands down King’s arms to help him relax. Ram then gave King some instruction on how to hold the mitts so he can practice his straight right, straight left, hooks, and upper cuts. Ram then taught King how to create combinations for him. 

King stood on the mats in the middle of the room and waited for Ram to come back with his boxing gloves on.

Ram gave him a nod. King got in his stance and started off slowly with a straight right and straight left.

“1! 2!”, King said loudly. Ram punched with his right and into King’s left mitt and punched with his left and hit King’s right mitt.

“3! 4!”, King called out. Ram gave him a right hook and a left hook, which met King’s mitts.

“5! 6!”, King exclaimed and shifted his mitts so Ram could throw a right uppercut and a left uppercut. 

King started hesitantly but slowly got the hang of calling out different combinations to Ram until he was calling and catching Ram’s punches while moving across the mat. It was like a beautiful dance that they were doing together. After calling and catching Ram’s combos, King was really enjoying it and have fun.

“1! 3! 4! 5! 2! 6!”, King yelled while moving across the mat. Ram threw a straight right, while King caught it on his left. Ram threw his right hook and a left hook, while King caught both with alternating mitts. Ram then threw a right uppercut and a straight left that King caught with ease. Then, Ram ended with a triumphant left uppercut into King’s right mitt! 

Both leaned forward, with their respective mitts and gloves on their knees, sweaty and exhausted from practicing the boxing combinations. 

Ram took off his gloves, wiped them down, and put them away. He then got King’s mitts, wiped them down, and put them away.

Ram grabbed a towel and a water bottle from the mini-fridge in the gym. He handed the water bottle to King and then started wiping the sweat off of King’s face.

“Cool Boy, I can do it. Thanks!”, King said as he took the towel from Ram. He drank the water bottle and Ram watched as some of the water dripped down his chin and neck to the top of his shirt. Ram suddenly had a sudden image of himself licking the water from his neck. He shook his head when he realized that his thoughts were going in obvious direction. Ram didn’t know where this sudden urge to want to do things with King came from, but he also didn’t want to pressure King if he wasn’t ready to do more. They just became official this morning, but Ram felt like King was what he had been wanting for a while now.

King was tired, but he felt good. He hadn’t realized that working out could be fun. It may be that working out with Ram was what he liked, not the workout itself. The more time he spent with Ram, the more he is now realizing how much he was a lost cause for Ram from the beginning.

“Are we going to do anything else? Are we going to hit the bags?, “ King asked. King didn’t mind the workout, but he also wouldn’t mind just cuddling with Ram somewhere. King got up and started running around the bags. He swung at the speed bag a few times. He attempted to pretend punch the heavy bag. Ram looked on with great affection and chuckled.

Ram shook his head. He usually would hit the bags at this point, but he decided he wanted to end this workout soon so he can spend some time relaxing with King.

King watched as Ram laid down on the floor with his knees bent and his feet flat on the floor. 

“Oh, do you want to do sit ups?”, King asked. Ram nodded. 

“Let me hold your feet,” King said. King was on his knees, his butt on his feet, with each knee on either side of Ram’s legs so he could hold Ram’s feet. Ram crossed his arms across his chest and started to do his sit ups. Around about 50 sit ups, King asked Ram to stop so he could adjust his hold. King stayed on his knee but scooted a little forward so Ram’s feet were in between his legs. He got up so his thighs were no longer on his calves. King put his hands on Ram’s knees and leaned his body forward over Ram’s knees. 

“Go ahead, Cool Boy. I’m ready, “ King said. King then puckered his lips at Ram and encouraged Ram to start. Ram looked at King for a few seconds before figuring out what King wanted him to do. Ram smiled largely and was very motivated to start his sit ups again. King leaned forward and puckered his lips as Ram lifted his shoulders off the mat to peck King on the lips. Ram went back to starting position and did another sit up that led to another kiss. After Ram did 50 more sit ups, King fell onto his back on the mat.

Ram looked down at King with sparkles in his eyes. Ram was motivated to get a kiss for every sit up he could do. Ram couldn’t get enough of King’s kisses and had an idea on how to get more.

King was tired from working out and holding Ram’s legs down for Ram’s sit ups. King was super proud of himself that he got a bunch of kisses from Ram. He looked up at the ceiling and took a breather.

Then, King’s view became blocked as he noticed Ram’s face was above his and his arms were on the side of his head. King realized that Ram was doing push-ups and that Ram was puckering up his lips to give King a kiss. King decided that this was his time to relax, was content with laying there and doing nothing, and closed his eyes while waiting to feel Ram’s lips touch his own. 

After Ram did his usual 100 push-ups and had kissed King 100 times, he admitted to himself he enjoyed his push up work out a lot more than when he did push-ups alone. 

Ram decided to do one more thing before they finished up. King was still laying there with his eyes closed, waiting for Ram to kiss him. Ram wanted to work out his core by doing a plank and started lowering his face down to King’s. King expected a peck, but ended up getting an open mouthed kiss and a tongue in his mouth. Ram kept his plank as he continued to thoroughly ravish King’s mouth. King brought his hands up to Ram’s head to and started to rub the back of Ram’s neck and run his hand through his hair. King started rubbing Ram’s scalp and Ram started to moan into the kiss. King couldn’t believe that he was a doing a Spiderman Plank Kiss with his new boyfriend. King and Ram were addicted to each other’s lips and couldn’t get enough of each other.

At the next moment, they heard the gym door open and Ruj’s voice yelling, “Hey P’, are you in here?”

Ram and King fly apart but not before Ruj saw them kissing. Ruj covers his eyes, but peeked through his fingers. Ram and King both looked at Ruj like they were deer in the headlights.

Ruj took his hands off his eyes and beamed at King and Ram. He snickered to himself.

“I knew it! I knew it! Finally! You P’s always give each other these lovey dovey looks when the other is not looking! Ha Ha! I knew you would get together! Awe, you guys are so cute!”, Ruj teased.

King and Ram looked at each other and started blushing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I messed up any descriptions of boxing workouts or equipment, I'm sorry. I'm not a boxer. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the 100+ kisses in this chapter! 
> 
> Hope everyone takes care of themselves and stays safe!


	7. Brotherly Love and Sing-Along Songs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ram and King are caught in the act by Ram's brother, Ruj. Ram is still very angry with his dad and Pin. Sometimes, the anger can be too much for him. Luckily, King has come up with a distraction to help get his mind off his family situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may seem a bit like a filler chapter, so I'm sorry! 
> 
> Happy Reading!!!

Ruj was a smart kid. He was respectful to others and listened to his elders. The one thing Ruj was that Ram wasn’t was outgoing. Ruj had tons of friends, was very popular, and was a bit of a ham and a joker. They were a bit opposite really, but that balanced them out as brothers. Ram might look serious and may not speak much, but they were close and Ruj thought that Ram was a good brother who always took care of him. Ruj loved his brother more than anything and all he really wanted for Ram was for him to be happy.

Ruj knew that there was something different about King from the beginning. Ram was never one to interact with others more than he needed to. Ruj observed Ram increase his time on his phone texting and getting messages and going out more, all with King. Ruj was very much aware that there was more to Ram and King’s relationship than a junior/senior relationship. He just wasn’t entirely sure what their relationship was. He just knew that King was someone very important to Ram.

Ruj and Ram were both very close to their parents. Their dad worked a lot, but he always made time for them to do things together. They would do things on the weekend as a family and enjoyed each other’s company. Their mom was very caring, and they could always go to her to talk about issues or problems they were having. 

Lately, Ruj had noticed Ram being more distant and he couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Ram came home one day looking for their dad, but then Ram didn’t really talk to him about anything. When Ram left home on Saturday and didn’t come back, Ruj was very worried. It was unlike Ram to not respond to his calls and messages. When King brought Ram home, he was relieved. King was one person that seemed to understand Ram, so he was glad that King was able to find Ram and bring him home. Ruj observed Ram and King’s interactions and realized that they were a lot closer than both of them realized. They both seemed to care for each other quite a lot. Ruj noticed that King and Ram could communicate with each other without even saying anything. When he saw his brother stare adoringly at King after his shower, he suspected that Ram had romantic feelings for King. During the dinner with his family, Ram appeared distant again. Ruj noticed he was tense but also noticed that King was monopolizing the conversation with their parents and would occasionally glance at Ram to see if he was okay. When Pin came over and Ram went to speak to her, he noticed that King seemed to get sad about it. Things were starting to add up and he had suspected that they both liked each other more than just friends. 

***********************

When Ruj walked into the work out room and saw his brother kissing King, it was a surprise, but not an unpleasant one. He was proud of himself for being able to figure them out before they did. If King made Ram happy, he was happy.

This situation made Ruj feel hopeful that King may be able to help Ram with whatever thing was bothering him. Right now, it was time for him to mess with his brother though.

Ruj was still smirking at King and Ram after catching them kissing, when Ram gave him a stern look. 

Ruj stopped smirking and put his hands up in surrender. 

“Sorry, P’s! It’s not every day that I get to tease my brother and his BOYFRIEND”, Ruj enunciated. Ram looked like he was going to murder Ruj. Ruj ignored him and then changed the subject. “P’Ram, mom says she is done volunteering and wanted to know if you and P’King wanted her to bring home something for lunch.”

Before Ram could answer, King did, “Nong, don’t worry about lunch. I have to head home soon anyway.”

Ram’s twisted his head to look at King. He thought he was going to spend the rest of their day together since it was the weekend. Ram was disappointed and it showed on his face. 

“Okay, I’ll let my mom know”, Ruj opened the door of the work out room and stepped out of the hall before turning around and saying, “Be good, you two lovebirds” before he closed the door. Ram and King heard his laughter while he walked happily down the hallway.

***************************

King noticed that Ram was giving him sad eyes and a frown. 

“Cool Boy turn that frown upside down! Are you sad that I have to head home?”

Ram confirmed with a nod.

“Why? Do you want to spend more time with me?”, King asked.

Ram confirmed with another nod and looked at King meaningfully like it was obvious.

King smiled, then suggested, “Well, why don’t you come with me? I want to head to my condo to change and check on my plants. The weather seems nice out today. Maybe we can head over to that park that you were at with the dogs. They had a garden I wanted to check out. I can drop you off at your condo later.” Then, King hesitated, and added, “Or, you can stay over at my place tonight, if you want to?” King raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Ram really liked the idea of sleeping next to Kim again. Ram may be a bit needy right now, but ever since he found out about his dad and Pin, he feels like a lost puppy. At least when he is with King, Ram could follow him around until he can figure out what to do.

Ram nodded to King in agreement and King got up off the floor. He offered his hand to Ram, Ram put his hand in his, and King pulled him off the floor. King went to the table and grabbed the Venus Fly Trap Book and the Venus Fly Trap and started walking out of the gym.

Ram caught up with him and grabbed his King’s arm. King looked up at Ram’s face and smiled. King noticed that Ram’s eyes were twinkling before Ram leaned in to rub their noses. They both walked contently back to Ram’s room to get showered so they could leave.

**************************

While King took a shower, Ram packed up his folders and notes and other stuff he needed to bring back to his condo. He decided to pack some extra clothes in case he did end up staying at King’s condo tonight.

Ram remembered he needed to get the clothes from the dryer, so he went to the laundry room to find that their clothes were folded on a chair. 

“Thanks mom!”, Ram thought to himself. He took the clothes and brought them back to his room.

Ram knocked on the bathroom door, “P’King. Your clothes are out here.” 

King responded, “Just leave them on the bed, I’ll be right out.” Ram left King’s clothes on the bed next to the door. He went into his closet to get his clothes and then came out at the same time King came out of the bathroom.

Ram stopped right outside of the doorway of his closet and stared at King. Ram had never seen King’s body before. They may have slept together last night, but they had clothes on.

King was standing near his bed with a towel around his neck to dry his hair and a towel riding low on his hips. Ram noticed that King was lean, but not skinny. King wasn’t necessarily muscular, but his biceps and chest were well-defined. He appeared a lot stronger without his usual blue Engineering shirt on. It was usually loose and covered his arms and torso. Ram swallowed as he stared at King’s smooth chest. Then, he lowered his eyes to King’s flat stomach and narrowing waist. What really got Ram’s attention was how low his towel was tied around his lower half since King’s hip bones were protruding out it. Ram hadn’t had known what was hiding under King’s clothes and he definitely liked what he saw.

King was drying his hair with one hand and went to grab his clothes, when he turned and saw Ram.

“Cool Boy, let me change really quick and then you can use the bathroom, okay?”

When King didn’t get a response, he stopped drying his hair and looked at Ram. Ram was standing near his closet staring at King. 

“Cool Boy?”

Ram continued to stare. He had this thought in his head that he would like to run his hands down to King’s hips one day.

King looked at Ram curiously and started to form a smile on his face. He confidently walked up to Ram and stood in front of him. Ram looked up to King’s face. King gave him a smoldering look, leaned in and said,

“Like what you see?” and raised his eyebrows.

Ram, realizing he got caught, looked at King embarrassed and nodded slowly.

King’s eyes widened in surprise since he was just teasing. He didn’t think Ram would admit it. He realized his flirting may have gotten him way over his head. He turned around quickly to go back to get his clothes but was stopped by one of Ram’s strong arms going around his waist and a hard body against his back. Ram kissed the side of King’s neck and whispered in his ear.

“You’re so handsome.” Ram then lowered his forehead to King’s shoulder in embarrassment. He couldn’t believe he could be so attracted to another person and be so enamored for King. Ram was so used to hiding his emotions from everybody, but he was like an open book for King. King understood and read him so well. He couldn’t hide anything from King, and he didn’t really want to. 

King turned his head to look at Ram, who was continuing to hide his face. King spun himself around and grabbed Ram’s face with both of his hands. Despite being face to face, Ram was not making eye contact with him.

King tilted Ram’s face up so their eyes met. 

“Thank you for thinking I’m handsome. I feel the same way about you. I know our relationship is new, but honestly, I think we’ve been kind of dancing around each other for a while now, don’t you?” Ram nodded and agreed.

“Do you think we should have a heart to heart? Lay everything on the table. I know we decided this morning about wanting to be together. I think we may have gotten a little excited during the workout without really talking about what having a relationship with each other would mean.” He looked at Ram. Ram felt bad that maybe all the kissing during the workout was too much. King moved his hands to the side of Ram’s shoulders.

“Cool Boy, it’s not what you think. I thoroughly enjoyed your work out and hope we can do more workouts in the future. I would like to do things that you enjoy with you just as much as I would like you to do things that I enjoy with me. I was hoping we can share a lot of experiences together in the future. Is that what you want?

Ram nodded and seemed happy with that idea.

“Let’s do this. I’ll get dressed, you take a shower, we’ll get ready to leave and head to my condo to change my clothes and check on my plants. Afterwards, we can talk and stuff while we are walking around the garden at the park. Does that sound good?”

Ram nodded. King brought his hand up to Ram’s head and patted it and pushed himself slightly out of Ram’s arms, but Ram held him firm. He grabbed King’s face and sealed King’s mouth with a kiss. King’s eyes widened in surprise but then slowly his eyes started to close as he kissed Ram back. The kiss lasted for a few seconds before Ram pulled away, but not before King gave him a quick peck on the lips. 

King got his clothes from Saturday and went back in the bathroom to change before he came back out. Ram then went into the bathroom and took a shower while King put Ram’s clothes he was wearing in the hamper. 

Ram came out eventually wearing black jeans, a black and white striped shirt, and a white jacket. Ram’s hair was slicked back with gel. King thought he looked very handsome, like always.

Ram grabbed his phone and his charger and put it in his bag. He put it on and looked at King.

“Ready?”, King asked. Ram nodded.

Ram led King out of his bedroom towards Ruj’s bedroom. Ram knocked on Ruj’s door.

“Come in!”, Ruj yelled. Ram opened the door. King noticed that the dogs were all sitting next to Ruj on the floor while Ruj was on a gaming chair playing a video game. Ruj paused his game when he noticed Ram and King in the doorway. King stood stiffly behind Ram.

“Oh, P’Ram and P’King, are you leaving? Are you sure you can’t stay for lunch?”, Ruj asked. Ram shook his head and then walked to the dogs to give them hugs before he left. 

“Nong, I am not going to be able to stay. I have to head home, but I am taking Ram with me. I’ll drop him back to his place later”, King responded. Ram made his goodbyes to his dogs and stood up next to King.

“Okay, P’! Please take care of my brother!”, Ruj said before waving at both of them with a big smile and getting back to his video game. Ram rolled his eyes and King waved back before they left the room. 

Ram and King started walking to the front door of the house, when the door opened. 

**********************

As the door opened, the first thing King noticed was someone wearing business attire and dress shoes. As soon as he realized it was Ram’s dad, he glanced at Ram. Ram froze briefly for a second, before picking up his pace so they can leave the house. Ram didn’t want to see his dad. All he wanted to do was get out of there.

Ram’s dad put his briefcase down and then noticed King and Ram.

“Oh, Ram! King! Where are you going? Why don’t we eat some lunch?”, his dad suggested.

King wai’d Ram’s dad and looked at Ram. King knew instantly that they could not stay. King noticed that Ram was tense and was getting upset. King knew that Ram would have a hard time interacting with his dad after last night. 

“Sorry, sir. I have to get going. Ram has an activity that he has to get to, so I am giving him a ride”, King responded. King technically didn’t lie. 

“Oh, okay. Well, it was nice to meet you, King. Come by whenever you have the chance. Ram, I’ll see you next weekend”, his dad said. He patted Ram’s shoulder and then walked towards his bedroom.

Ram took a deep breath and stared at his dad's back. He was so mad that his dad could act so normal after all that he had done. King noticed Ram was upset and grabbed his wrist.

“Let’s go”, King said and pulled Ram out the door to his car.

*********************

King and Ram were in the car and not saying much. King kept glancing at Ram while he was driving but Ram was staring out the window with an intense look on his face.

Ram was angry. How could his dad, a man he looked up to and loved with all his heart, have an affair with his childhood friend? It was good that King was with Ram when he saw his dad because he probably would have punched him.

King noticed that Ram was clenching his fists on his thighs. King left one of his hands on the steering wheel and put his other hand on top of Ram’s fist.

“Cool boy. I know you are mad, but you got to calm down, okay?” He rubbed Ram’s fist to try to distract him and it seemed to be working. Ram took a few deep breaths and unclenched his fist while King’s hand was on top of his. Ram eventually shifted his hand palm up so he could hold King’s hand. King rubbed Ram’s hand with his thumb and King’s touch seemed to soothe Ram’s anger.

“Do you want to talk about it?”, King asked. He was prepared to talk to Ram about his dad or distract Ram with something else. He just wanted to help Ram with whatever he needed.

King looked at Ram and Ram shook his head.

“Okay, let’s, uh, listen to some music.” King let go of Ram’s hand and turned on the radio. King wanted to get Ram’s mind off of his dad, so he browsed through some of the radio stations until he got to an upbeat song he recognized. He found one that was perfect! He stopped when he heard Kaew and Tomo singing the intro song to Why R U? The Series. It was at the section where Tomo was rapping and King started rapping along out loud, surprising Ram in the process.

_Definition of love depends on one who creates it  
Love is about heart, not about body  
Your heart might be given to anyone  
But my heart is only for you to stay  
I could be whatever to you,  
If only I had you beside me,  
I could be your friend, your brother or whatever,  
If only we knew that we feel the same._

Ram watched amazed as King was able to successfully rap all the words. Ram was even more amazed when King started singing the chorus very loudly while performing some of the dance moves from the music video while he was driving. 

_Is this love? Or does my heart just twist?_

King twisted his arms around and brought his hands to make a heart and kept on singing loudly.

_I’ve fallen, it’s warm like a dream.  
Is it reality or miracle? I can’t resist._

King continued to sing the words, giving meaningful looks and smiles at Ram while he sang them. Ram watched King as he continued to sing and dance for him and it made him feel all mushy inside. 

_If this is love, then what should I do?  
What if I can’t restrain myself?  
And what should I do if you know?_

King held both hands to his chest and made a wave with both arms to one side and then the other. Ram continued to watch King and his mind was completely focused on him and nothing else, not even his dad.

_I might not be able to cope with you,  
and I’ll have to give in to you._

King then put one hand to his face like he was calling out while moving his head from side to side. 

_Wo O Wo WO O Oh_  
_Wo O Wo WO O Oh_  
_Wo O Wo WO O Oh_

When the song ended and another song began, King had already gotten to his parking lot. He parked the car and then looked at Ram. Ram was staring at him, shaking his head and smiling.

“What? I will have you know that P’Kumfah made me listen to that song and practice the dance with her hundreds of times. That’s why I know all the words and the dance moves so well!”, King explained.

Ram imagined P’Kumfah and King singing and dancing in their living room and started laughing. King smiled proudly at being able to get Ram’s mind off of his dad, for now. King and Ram got all their stuff, locked the doors, and walked to the elevator that went up to King’s condo. 

As they waited for the elevator to get to the parking lot, Ram looked at King appreciatively and said, “Thanks, P’!" King smiled and patted his shoulder.

The elevator dinged and the elevator opened. King and Ram walked in, turned around to face out of it, then looked at each other smiling as the doors closed.

Ram was glad that he had King, as goofy as he is. King made Ram feel like everything would be alright in his world. King was glad to be there for Ram, as serious as he is, because he felt like he lived to make Ram smile.

The elevator finally got to King’s floor. They got out of the elevator and walked to King’s condo, side by side, content with just being together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know, this was a bit song-fic-ish at the end. I thought it would be cute though!
> 
> I have to give credit to the Why R U OST and Kaew and Tomo's intro song because it's so catchy. For some reason, I imagined King being able to do do all the singing and the dance moves in my head. Please refer to the music video if that will help you imagine it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ZATwALNSc
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read this!


	8. Garden Walk and Relationship Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram head over to the park to check out the flowers and plants at the garden and have a heart to heart.

King unlocked the door of his room and let Ram in. As he closed the door behind him, King started greeting his plants. He asked them questions about how they were doing and interacting with each other while rubbing their leaves.

“I am back! I am back! I am back!,” King announced. He tried to greet every single one of his plants. King made comments about missing them and asked them questions about their day. Ram watched as King seemed so happy gently touching the leaves of his plants. He was openly expressing his love and caring for them. Ram realized that King’s plants were like his dogs. They were his companions who listened and were there for him with unconditional positive regard. Just being around his plants made King feel good, just like being around his dogs made Ram feel good.

After he had greeted all his plants, King told Ram to relax while he changed his clothes. King went into his room while Ram sat on the sofa. He put his bag on the floor and remembered his Venus Fly Trap. He took it out of his bag pocket. He brought the plant close to his face to really look at its leaves.

“How are you?,” Ram whispered to his plant. He copied what King did and used his fingertips to pet the different leaves. Ram noticed that touching the leaves felt nice.

King came out of his room dressed in a blue shirt and some khakis. He was going to say something to Ram but stopped in his tracks when he noticed what Ram was doing. King was very touched by the scene but stopped himself from saying “Awe” out loud because he did not want to interrupt Ram and the plant’s interaction. 

“Cool Boy, are you ready to go?,” King interrupted. Ram looked up to King, petted his plant with his fingertip one last time, and whispered to his plant, “See you later.”

When Ram stood up next to King, King was so happy about Ram’s plant interaction that King pecked Ram on the side of his mouth. The kiss caught Ram by surprise and he brought his hand up to his mouth and looked at King questioningly.

“What?,” King replied and then walked towards the front door and opened it.

“Let’s go, Cool Boy!,” King called. Ram shrugged and walked out the door.

*******************

King and Ram got into King’s car and were content sitting next to each other and listening to the radio as they drove to the park. It didn’t take very long to get there. In no time, King pulled into the parking lot and parked his car.

King and Ram got out of the car and saw the large pond and picnic area. It was a beautiful day to be at the park. The sun was out but there was a bit of a breeze so it was not too hot outside. The sunlight reflected off the large pond, making the water look like it was sparkling. King got his phone out and pulled Ram to the side of the pond.

“Let’s take some selfies!,” King stated. King seemed so excited to be there. Ram stood next to King while he took pictures of both of them doing different poses in front of the pond.  
While holding his phone right in front of him, King looked at Ram and called out his name, “Cool Boy!” Ram turned to look at King, when Ram heard King’s camera click. King looked at the picture of him and Ram staring each other with the sparkling pond behind them.

“What a nice picture!” King said. He showed the picture to Ram and Ram nodded in agreement. King and Ram stood side by side with each other near the pond for a few more minutes, appreciating their surroundings, watching a few ducks swim by and dragonflies fly across the pond.

Once King and Ram got their fill of the pond, they looked for the signs and followed the path towards the garden. The walking path was lined by trees that provided a nice shade for walkers. As they started getting closer to the garden, the sidewalk started to change into a path of large stepping stones over grass. Although trees still lined the path, the space between trees became more spread out, with more foliage and flowers of various colors in between them. The path led them to the entrance of the garden. The path then diverged into smaller paths in order to view various flower beds and plants. On the left side of the garden was a rose garden. King and Ram decided to walk through the rose garden and then work their way back to the other flowers and plants.

They had started looking at the different colors and types of roses. King and Ram would comment or take pictures while they were walking. Ram followed King and was enjoying himself. Ram did notice that occasionally he would have a fleeting thought about his dad and Pin. He would catch himself getting a bit sad or upset, but then would try to re-focus on what King was saying or looking at. Ram looked up at the sky. The weather was great and listening to King talk was one of his favorite pastimes. It was nice hearing King talk so animatedly about the plants. 

“Cool Boy, did you know that there are so many species of roses and that they can form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing, or trailing, with stems that are often formed with sharp prickles?,” King asked. Ram’s mouth turned up a little and shook his head.

Something suddenly caught King’s eye and he rushed over to a shrub of roses. 

“Oh! Check this rose out!! It’s yellow with red tips!! Isn’t it beautiful!,” King declared. King took out his phone and took a picture of one of the roses up close. 

King touched the pedals and shared, “These roses are called variegated roses. The meaning of roses is based on its color. Because this rose has two colors, the meaning is the combination of the two colors into one sentiment. Yellow roses usually are associated with warm feelings of friendship and optimism. Red roses usually are symbolic of romantic love.”

King gestured to Ram to look at it closely. Ram touched the petals and smelled it. King and Ram’s stood closely, looking at the flower, when King turned his face to Ram.

“This particular rose sends out happy feelings. My interpretation of this rose is that the yellow represents the warm feelings of friendship and optimism and the red tips that seem to be slowly spreading onto the yellow represent the start of falling in love.” 

King and Ram looked at each other and allowed the words to sink in. They stared at each other like they were in a trance, like they were the only people in the world. King eventually broke the trance, stepped back, smiled to himself, and touched the petals one last time before continuing to walk down the garden path. Ram stared at the red tipped yellow roses as if filing them into his memory before he turned and caught up with King.

************************

They continued to walk along the garden paths, looking at different flower beds and plants. 

“Are you having fun?,” King asked. Ram nodded his head and smiled at King.

“I’m glad,” King said. King thought that this may be a good time to start talking about things. King knew that Ram was not going to be the one to start this conversation, so he figured he might as well do it. 

“I know we talked earlier about having a heart to heart about us.” King gestured his hands towards himself and Ram. “Are you ready to start talking about it?,” King asked.

Ram knew that they had to have a talk. If he and King wanted to make their relationship work, they are going to have to talk about things with each other. Because of his dad’s affair with Pin, he wants to make sure that him and King are on the same page about their relationship and other things. The last thing he would want is a misunderstanding and one or both of them getting hurt. 

Ram looked at King and nodded in affirmation.

They continued to follow the stepping stone path towards an area where there were knee-high trimmed bushes lining a set of trellises overgrown with green and beautiful pink flowers lining the sides and overhead, seemingly forming a flower tunnel. Although covering the pathway in shade, some sunlight would come through and reflect their light off the shiny leaves and flowers. They slowly walked together, occasionally stopping to look at a flower or touch some leaves, but neither of them said anything. King decided to speak up.

“This is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I have an idea. Why don’t we take turns asking questions that we want to know? We can both answer so we don’t feel like we are being put on the spot. Sound good? Do you want me to go first?”

Ram nodded. King and Ram were both a bit nervous but they knew that this conversation was going to be important to how they were going to proceed forward. 

“Okay, my question. When did you start having feelings for me?,” King asked. 

Ram didn’t really have to think about it because he knew. Ram took a deep breath and started, “It was the day you took my homework and started tutoring me. I took you out to eat to thank you. You gave me ginger when I don’t ever eat ginger, and I was willing to do so because you gave it to me. It kind of built up from there as we spent more time together.” Ram had initially been annoyed by King pushing himself into Ram’s life, but after a while, he started liking having King around. Ram looked at King and waited for his answer. King stopped and looked at Ram before explaining.

“Initially, you were an enigma. You intrigued me. I’m a pretty social and charming person. I couldn’t help but want to understand you more because you were mysterious, quiet, and resisted my charms. The more you ignored me, the more you pulled me in. I wanted to know you more. I wanted to figure you out what made you tick. I would observe you a lot and try to interact with you to learn more about you. That’s probably why I understand you so well. Looking back, I think I may have been interested in you from the first time I saw you in the library. I didn’t realize that my feelings were more deep for you until you came into my apartment and showed interest in my Venus Fly Trap pictures. All of a sudden, I had decided to germinate a Venus Fly Trap for you just because you liked it. When I asked if you were mad at me for lying to my sister and you didn’t respond back to me, I was really worried you were upset with me. I knew then that I had feelings for you more than just friendship.” King stepped to the side of the path to rub a few leaves between his fingers. It helped him feel more relaxed. 

Ram grabbed King’s other hand and held it. “Is this okay?,” he asked. King looked at their hands and nodded. They continued to walk amongst the flowers.

Ram looked down and sighed. He then looked up at King and asked, “Are you sure this relationship is what you want?” 

Ram knew that he liked being around King, was obviously attracted to him, and cared about him a lot. He wanted to have a meaningful, loving relationship with King as his boyfriend. With all the emotional baggage with his family, with them both being males, and with being junior and senior, he didn’t know if King really thought about what jumping into a relationship with Ram would mean. He cared about King so much that he didn’t want to pressure King into being with him if he wasn’t really wanting the same thing. King looked at Ram and frowned. 

“What do you mean? Of course, I want this relationship! What would make you think I didn’t want this relationship?,” King questioned.

“P’, I’m a guy and you are a guy. I’m your junior and you’re my senior. I wasn’t sure how you would feel about us being together and if it would be okay with you. I, personally, can care less about what others think of me but I don’t know how you would feel. You are popular and well-liked. I don’t want you to look bad because you are with me. On top of all that, I am dealing with family issues. I don’t want to be a burden to you because of it. I don’t want it to have an impact on our relationship, whatever it is.”

King looked at Ram seriously.

“First off, I don’t care if we are both guys or that I’m your senior and you’re my junior. And, I’m only popular and well-liked because I’m one of the nicer hazers and because I am often helpful to others, including my juniors. I also can care less about what other people think of me. If people judge me, those are probably people I should have nothing to do with. My friends and the people who care for me will accept me for who I am and whoever I choose as my partner.”

“In regards to your family situation, I really don’t know how that has to do with our relationship. I’ve already told you that you could never be a burden to me. I’ve been sticking to you for months now. I knew when you came to my house and I showed you my secret place that something was going on. I knew something was up when nobody could find you yesterday. I knew something was going on when you couldn’t stand being in the same room with your dad. I was with you when you found your dad and Pin together. I’ve been with you during the whole situation, despite not being in an official capacity. If anything, your family situation has brought us closer together.”

King looked at Ram and tried to show his utmost sincerity and squeezed Ram’s hand.

“I want to be here for you, especially now. I meant it when I said that I can hold some of those emotions or take some of the burden off of you. I’ve already decided that I’m in it with you.” King paused and took a deep breath and looked at Ram.

Ram stopped them in the middle of the path and looked at the ground. King tilted Ram’s head up so that Ram could look at him in the eyes. King wanted to make things clear to Ram.

“You asked me if I am sure that this relationship is what I want. I can tell you that I am 100% absolutely sure that I want to be in a relationship with you. Something has always pulled me towards you: us being in the same faculty, you being my friend’s mentee, you being the best friend of my best friend’s boyfriend. It was like we were meant to cross paths in some way.” 

“Cool Boy, you say that I am the one person who understands you. I know that you are worried that this is not what I want or it may be too much for me, but I’m telling you that you are what I want. Now, I can’t promise that everything is going to be great all the time. I can’t promise that we both won’t do something stupid to piss each other off or that we will not fight or argue sometimes. I can’t promise that we won’t have struggles or obstacles in our relationship.”

King stood in front of Ram and brought Ram’s hand up and held it with both of his hands to his heart. King looked at his hands holding Ram’s on his chest.

“I read in a book once that there are 5 C’s to a great relationship. I can promise you those C’s right now.”

King squeezed Ram’s hand a little with his hands, then King looked into Ram’s eyes resolutely. Ram waited for King to continue.

“I promise to communicate issues and concerns as well as actively listen and give my attention to your needs. I promise to care for you, appreciate you, protect you, and nurture you. I promise to be willing to compromise and negotiate with you to make this relationship work. I promise you companionship, that I will do things with you, be there for you, and make the time for you because I know whatever we do, we would be happiest doing it together. The last thing I can promise you is commitment to our relationship as long as you want the same thing. Do you? Do you want the same thing?”

Ram looked into King’s eyes and saw a hint of worry in his eyes. Ram pulled King’s hand to him, holding it with both of his hands on his heart, mirroring how King had held his hand. Ram spoke unwaveringly.

“I do want the same thing. I want to make the same promises to you. You know that it’s sometimes hard for me to communicate, but I promise I will try. I know that I can promise to be a good listener and make sure you are getting your needs met. I also promise to care for you, appreciate you, and encourage you. I can also promise to be your companion because I do want to do things with you, be there for you, and spend time with you because every moment with you IS when I am happiest. Lastly, I also promise to be committed to our relationship and making it work as long as you’ll have me. I really want this with you because I know in my heart you are the only one for me.” 

King looked at Ram and smiled sweetly to him. King sighed happily. 

“Let’s seal the deal with a kiss!,” King suggested. 

It was like a movie scene. They were surrounded by beautiful flowers and they both stood handsomely in the sunlight. Ram brought their hands down so each of King’s hands were holding one of Ram’s in front of them. They leaned towards each other. Ram tilted his head and opened his mouth slightly to kiss King, brushing King’s lower lip with his tongue. King welcomed the invasion and passionately kissed King back. After a few seconds, they broke apart, but not without what has become their favorite affectionate thing to do with each other. Their foreheads touched as well as their noses, rubbing together happily.

They continued to talk about things while they walked down the garden path, looking at the plants and flowers, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. They discussed their dreams, wants, and desires. They asked each other questions and came up with future plans. King and Ram knew that they were laying down the foundation of their relationship and how they wanted to be together as a couple. They knew that being in a relationship was not going to be easy, but they were willing to make the effort, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, I only used one "imaginary" scene from Episode 12. More reworking of scenes to come for sure in upcoming chapter(s)! I can't promise I'll get another chapter out before Episode 13 comes out tomorrow, but I will try my best!
> 
> I don't know if it was too serious or what, but with the affair and what King and Ram have been through the weekend, I thought they wanted their relationship to be a lot more than just "dating." This is how I imagined it in my head and hope you liked it!
> 
> Thanks for reading my fic and hope you have a great weekend!


	9. Wrapped in the Warmth of Someone's Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram continue to spend time together at the Park as the thoughts about Ram's dad's affair with Pin continue to bother Ram.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Scenes were obviously used from My Engineer Episode 12. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

When King and Ram finished looking at the flowers and plants in the garden, they walked back into the main park and decided to sit down at a bench under a large tree. Its crown was full of branches and leaves providing shade from the bright sun.

King and Ram decided to just relax and do some people watching. They saw some kids playing and some runners jogging. They had been talking so much while they were at the garden that the silence was welcome. They were both content with just sitting there in the other’s company until they both heard Ram’s stomach growling. Ram brought his hand to his stomach.

“Oy! You didn’t eat breakfast. You stay right here. I’m going to find some food,” King reprimanded. King had completely forgot that Ram didn’t eat breakfast because they had worked out. Then they had gotten ready, saw Ram’s dad, left Ram’s house and didn’t grab anything before they left King’s condo. King slapped his forehead for not thinking about Ram. He looked around.

“Now, where can I find some food?”

******************************

Ram waited at the bench and thought about the things he had discussed with King. They were in total agreement about being together. It made him happy that he had found someone to share things with. Ram had been in a few relationships before but never one that lasted. There was always something that kept the other relationships from progressing into something serious. His relationship with King was a lot different. It was based on mutual respect and understanding. King and Ram were on the same page about their feelings for each other and wanted similar things. Despite that, they were realistic. King and Ram knew that there may be times when they may not agree about something or not get along. King and Ram didn’t agree on the same things when they first started interacting with each other, so it was easier for King and Ram to agree to disagree, be okay with it, and come up with a compromise. They also were more willing to try things with each other despite feeling fearful or uncomfortable with a situation because King and Ram both trusted that they would be able to comfort or support each other through it.

Trust. It’s important in any relationship. Ram had trusted that his father would stay committed to his mom and to their family. He had trusted Pin, his childhood friend, to respect him and his family. Both decided to break that trust and be with each other. Ram felt like there were so many different emotions he was experiencing at once: anger, disappointment, sadness, worry. Ram really was at a loss about what he should do.

****************************

King was feeling pretty good. He got to spend the afternoon walking around beautiful gardens with his new boyfriend. He was happy that him and Ram were able to talk about things openly and share their feelings with each other. One thing that King and Ram came to an agreement on was to keep their relationship secret for now. It was not because they were ashamed of it, far from it. King and Ram wanted to spend some time focusing on themselves as a couple. They just wanted to spend some time getting used to being with each other alone before doing so in front of others. They also still wanted to figure out how they would come out to their respective group of friends. 

Obviously, both groups were accepting of same sex relationships as seen in how the group has kind of come together because of Bohn and Duen. They both knew that if they came out about their relationship there would be a whole lot of teasing and a whole lot of people watching them. King and Ram knew that they both had some fan clubs on social media and didn’t want to have to deal with any drama socially. They knew that their relationship status would be shared eventually, but it would be on their own terms and when they were both comfortable doing so.

Ram was also concerned that his friends would make King pass a bunch of tests like they had made Bohn do in order to date Duen. Ram had admitted to King that he really didn’t want King to go through that, now regretting what he had put Bohn through. King had told him that he would be open to do the tests if it made Ram happy that his friends accepted their relationship. Ram had kissed King on the cheek for being willing but still didn’t want King to go through any tests any time soon, especially since they would be heading to the volunteer camp to plant trees in a few days. 

Because they just had exams, their university had given them a short break until the new semester started. Setting up the camp mid-week during the break was a perfect way to reduce cost, have fun, and unwind as well as maximize the amount of volunteers who would be willing to help plant trees after all the studying they had done the last few weeks. King and Ram had decided that they would hang out with their own friends on the trip to minimize suspicion and to get some quality time with their friends because they knew that they would likely do things together without their friends the rest of the break.

King finally was able to walk down one of the paths to find a bunch of food carts. One of the carts was selling meat skewers so King went up to the cart and decided to buy some for him and Ram. He then headed back the path towards the big tree.

***********************

As King walks back towards the big tree, he notices Ram on the bench waiting for him. 

King gets to the tree, ducks under some of its branches and stops in front of Ram. Ram looks up and King shows him the bag of meat skewers.

“I saw these looked delicious, so I bought some for you,” King informs Ram. Ram is happy King is back.

Ram takes the bag from King and King joins him on the bench, then takes one of the skewers out of the bag and bites into it. Ram reaches into the bag to get a skewer for himself, but before he can, he hears King cry out. He sees King take the skewer out of his mouth and bring his hand to his mouth to touch his tongue. 

“I bit my tongue. I ate it too fast. Is it bleeding?,” King asks and brings his face close to Ram, opening his mouth for Ram to see. Ram looks in his mouth but shakes his head because King was not bleeding. King makes a face, shrugs, and goes back to eating. 

Ram grabs a skewer for himself and says, “Sorry” under his breath before he bites into it. King heard him and looked at Ram oddly.

“What are you sorry for? You weren’t the one that bit my tongue. I was. That’s what I get for eating too fast anyway,” King said.

Ram finished chewing and looked at King. King waited for Ram to speak.

“I was told when I was young that when you accidentally bite your tongue, someone is thinking about you dearly. When I saw that you got me food, I was thinking about how lucky I am to have this person to take care of me, so it was probably me who caused you to bite your tongue just now. Sorry,” Ram said sincerely.

King stared at Ram in amazement. King was touched by Ram’s confession and thought it was very sweet. King was at a loss of what to say and responded with the first thing that came to mind.

“Well, do you think I should be careful with my tongue from now on?,” King blurted out, wide-eyed after he had said it. King had wanted tease Ram and ask if he should be careful about biting his tongue accidentally because Ram would think a lot about him, but he had said that instead. 

Ram gulped and his mind went completely blank for a second. Ram had a few thoughts in his mind about what King meant. He looked at King’s lips and started imagining their kisses from earlier and how King’s tongue felt against his. King saw Ram’s expression, laughed, and patted Ram’s knee nervously. He looked at Ram.

“Look at your face, Cool Boy! I was just teasing. Oh, I forgot to, uh, buy us drinks. I’ll be right back!,” King said blushingly. King stood up abruptly and started walking towards the food carts leaving Ram watching him dazed.

*********************

King took a deep breath while he walked towards the food carts. Despite sleeping in the same bed and all the kisses they shared, this relationship was still new to King. He was still trying to figure out how to function in it. Although they talked about their relationship, King still gets a bit overwhelmed at times by how much he likes Ram and how some of the things Ram says or does makes him feel a certain way. It wasn’t a bad thing. It was just something for King to get used to. King has never experienced these type of feelings before. He was glad that he went to get some drinks to think about why he said what he did. 

Looking back on it, King realized that his question was a double entendre and that Ram may have taken it as innuendo. Thinking about it now, King imagined why Ram’s thoughts might have started going in that direction. Honestly, King’s mind started going in that direction, too, as soon as he said it. King admitted to himself that he was starting to get a bit addicted to Ram and his kisses. It was like a switch had flipped in his head, and he was surprised at how easy he was able to transition from having a platonic friendship where they just hang out and do things together to a full on intimate relationship with Ram where he wanted to hold his hand, kiss him and cuddle with him in such a short period of time. King wasn’t surprised that both him and Ram were able to flirt, tease, and be intimate with each other, yet still become shy and embarrassed about things. Their intimacy and attraction to each other were just things that King and Ram were still working on figuring out in their relationship together.

King got to one of the carts and bought some waters. He then headed back to Ram.

**********************

Ram watched King leave and shook his head. Ram thought King was so cute when he was flustered. Ram knew that their relationship was based on friendship, so flirting and being more intimate were things that they were not used to doing with each other. 

Ram decided to move from the bench and sat cross legged on the grass. He picked up a few leaves and started crumbling them. He knew he should be happy that he was with King, but his thoughts continued to stray back to his dad when he was alone, the emotions hitting him like a brick to his heart.

Ram sighed and leaned back to lay on the ground. He laid there with his right leg prone and his left leg folded under it. His hands were resting on his stomach as he stared at the leaves above him. He could see the blue sky in between the gaps in the branches and the sunlight coming through the leaves. 

***********************

King saw Ram lying on the ground and his heart ached for him. Ram didn’t hear King walking up to him until he saw a water bottle in his line of vision. 

“You stressing about your dad again?,” King asked. Ram looked up at King and nodded silently, then looked back up at the crown of leaves above him. 

King put the water bottles on the ground next to Ram and lied down close to Ram facing the opposite direction so their heads were parallel to each other. King closed his eyes and mirrored Ram by resting his hands on his stomach. King then turned his head to the left and looked at Ram’s face. Ram was still looking up at the leaves above him, lost in his thoughts. King looked up at the leaves also.

“Ok. No one’s life is perfect. There is good and bad.”

King then glanced at Ram and said, “But it will eventually pass.” Ram didn’t respond and continued to stare above him. King felt like he had to do something. King got up on his side, his left elbow on the ground with his hand holding up his head, and looked at Ram.

“Don’t overthink and just let it be.”

King leaned forward a little and tried to get Ram’s attention.

“Come on give me a smile!,” King said. 

“Cool Boy, smile!,” King demanded. He moved his body a little closer to Ram’s. Ram looked up into King’s face but still didn’t respond. King smiled at Ram and continued to lean in.

“Cool Boy, Cool Boy, Cool Boy! Smile!,” he exclaimed while tapping on the grass to try to get Ram to smile. Ram’s eyes slowly started to crinkle as a closed mouth smile started to form.

King proudly leaned forward and said, “Ha Ha. You smiled!” King them leaned a little back on his elbow, looking at Ram.

Ram got up on his side and mirrored King on his own elbow and looked back at King.

“Thank you,” Ram said. King and Ram stared into each other’s eyes. They started to lean forward until Ram’s lips softly touched King’s. After a few seconds, King pulled away and then said aloud.

“No problem! Let’s nap. I’m sleepy.”

Ram observed King lay back down, pull down his shirt, rest one of his hands on his stomach, and close his eyes. Ram laid down and continued to admire King’s face before closing his own eyes. Ram was still in awe of King’s ability to put a smile on his face and make him laugh despite his stress about his family situation. King was content to know that he was able to provide Ram exactly what he needed and Ram was content with being wrapped in the warmth of King’s care. This allowed King and Ram to nap peacefully, side by side, under that shady tree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was more a lead into the next chapter. Hope it turned out okay! I'm sure you can figure out what may be happening next.
> 
> Anyway, thank you all for checking my fic out and reading it. I'm very motivated by people wanting me to continue this thing!! 
> 
> Thanks again!!!!


	10. Holding Your Hand and Making You Feel Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Curiosity and trying to be helpful puts one of our boys in a dangerous situation and in need of immediate help. The situation brings them closer as they rely on each other for support.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my fantastic readers! 
> 
> Again, some scenes were obviously used from My Engineer Episode 12 but modified to fit into this fic!
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!!!

King and Ram had been napping for a while when King was awakened by a dog barking in distress. He let Ram continue to sleep and got up to check it out. 

He noticed a straggly looking black dog tied up to a tree being provoked by a dirty looking man with long curly hair. He was waving his hands at the dog and the dog was barking at him, clearly upset. King walked over and stood a few feet behind the man.

“What are you doing?,” King asked to distract the man. The man turned around and looked at King with crazy eyes. The man pointed at King before he started waving his arms and grunting at the dog. He then pointed at King and grunted again.

King watched the man walk away before turning back to the dog. Although King was scared of the dog, he wanted to try to help it anyway. 

“Calm down,” he said while hesitantly walking closer to the dog.

“Don’t bark, wait, calm down,” King said as he continued to try to calm the dog down. King was anxious but trying to be brave and continued to move forward towards the dog. 

“I am helping you,” King continued to say to the dog. Because he was so focused on the dog, he didn’t notice that the man who ran away had picked up a large, thick branch and was coming towards him.

*************** 

Ram was laying in the grass under the tree when he started hearing a dog barking. The sound of the dog woke him up immediately, and he was suddenly concerned for King. He sat up and looked near him but King was nowhere to be seen.

He picked up one of the water bottles and stood up. He took a sip and looked around the park to see if he could find King. He continued to hear the dog barking and turned his head in that direction. He was surprised to see King trying to calm the dog down.

Ram swiftly started walking towards King when he noticed a man with a large branch coming up behind King. Ram felt like he was watching something in slow motion before he realized what was happening. Ram started running towards King but it was already too late.

*************** 

King was continuing to try to calm the dog down when he heard a grunt behind him. King turned around and screamed before the man hit him in the head with the branch. Ram watched in horror as King fell to the ground with the man hovering above him ready to strike King again. Ram got there and grabbed the man’s arm firmly to prevent him from striking King again. The man looked up to see Ram, who was incensed to the point that Ram squeezed the water bottle in his hand so hard that he popped the cap off and water spouted out from it. The man got scared, dropped the branch, and ran off screaming. Ram glared at the man before he looked at King. 

***************

All King felt was pain. His head was pounding. The dog came up to him and touched his back. King then tried to get up but couldn’t do it. King put his hand on his head and felt wetness under his hand. Ram saw King’s hand on his head covered with blood. 

“P’King! P’King!,” Ram yelled as he ran to King and knelt down beside him. Ram touched King’s shoulder and touched King’s head before looking at the blood that was now on his hands. King was not responding much.

“P’King! P’King! P’King,” Ram said worriedly. King continued to not respond. Ram was freaking out. He had to get King to a doctor.

Ram took out his phone and looked through his contacts. He found the one he was looking for and called it. It rang a few times before someone picked up.

“Hello…”

“P’, this is Ram. Where are you?,” Ram asked frantically. Ram had called Duen’s cousin, Thara, who was a senior in the medical faculty. Since Duen and Ram were best friends, Ram knew Thara fairly well.

“Nong, what’s wrong? Are you okay?,” Thara asked worriedly.

“P’, a man hit my senior with a large branch at the park and his head is bleeding. I don’t know what to do.,” Ram said panicking.

“Nong, bring him here to the University Clinic. We’ll be ready for you when you get here,” Thara said reassuringly to Ram.

“Thanks, P’. We’ll be there shortly,” Ram said. He hung up the phone. 

“P’King!, P’King, can you hear me?,” Ram asked. King groaned and lifted his head up a little.

“P’King, I’m going to take you the clinic. I’m going to carry you on my back so I can get you to your car quicker.” 

King nodded slightly and continued to groan. King couldn’t believe that this was happening. He felt a bit dizzy and needed help standing up. Ram easily stood King up and lifted him onto his back. King continued to hold the top of his head and laid his face on Ram’s shoulder as Ram walked swiftly through the park to get to King’s car. 

Ram was trying to remain calm but was not doing so well. He was scared that the man had done some significant damage to King’s head and wanted to get King help fast. When he got to King’s car, he realized that he didn’t have the key. He had to put King down and pat down King’s pockets. He eventually found King’s keys, took them out, unlocked the doors, and gently put King in the front seat. He then buckled King up and closed the door. Ram ran to the driver’s side, got in, and sped off to the University Clinic.

************** 

Ram got to the clinic in no time and parked King’s car. He got out and went to the passenger side to get King out of the car and into the clinic. Thara was waiting for them, got them checked in at the front desk, and brought them into an exam room. Thara followed Ram into the exam room as Ram laid King on the exam table.

Thara washed his hands at the sink and dried his hands before putting on his medical gloves. He turned around to see Ram standing near the exam table looking at his senior anxiously.

“Nong, tell me what happened again. This is your senior?,” Thara asked while grabbing some antiseptic wipes and gauze before examining King’s head. Thara knew Ram well enough since Ram was his cousin’s best friend. Ram often kept to himself and didn’t say very much. Thara thought that Ram usually seemed indifferent about things, so this was the first time that he had ever seen Ram upset. Thara thought that Ram seemed to really care and have concern for his senior.

“This is my senior, King. We were at the park and a crazy man hit him with a large branch. He fell to the ground. He was not that responsive afterwards and he was bleeding.” Ram put his hand on top of King’s arm, trying to provide him comfort and to let him know that he was there with him. Thara turned to King. 

“Khun, I’m here to help you. Can you tell me what your pain level is on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means you have no pain and 10 is severe pain?

King groaned a little, then answered, “It’s an 8.” Ram looked at King and felt terrible. Ram was mad at himself for not noticing King was gone and for not getting to him earlier. He kept looking at King worriedly. The thought that the man could have hit King again terrified Ram. He was glad he made it there before the situation had gotten worse.

Thara looked between Ram and King, then started to talk King through what he was going to do.

“I’m going to start cleaning your wound so we can examine it, okay?,” Thara asked. King nodded slightly. “This may sting a little.”

As Thara started using the antiseptic wipes to clean off the blood, Ram rubbed King’s arm with his hand. It was not only to comfort King, but to comfort himself. King was so important to him. It was eating him up inside that his King was hurt.

Thara finished his exam and said, “The wound was deep and you are going to need stitches. I am going to get the materials and be right back.” Thara stepped out of the room.

King looked up at Ram and said to him panicking, “Cool Boy, I’m scared of needles. I don’t want to do this. Let’s just go home!” King started to get up slowly but his head started hurting again. Ram pushed King’s shoulder down gently to get him back on the exam table.

“P’King, I know you are scared, but you injured your head. You have to get stitches to close your wound. You can hold my hand and squeeze it to get through the pain,” Ram said reassuringly, then suggested, “Why don’t you try to think of something to distract you while P’Thara is stitching you up?”

“Like what?,” King asked. King was afraid. He didn’t want to feel anything sharp on his skin. Flashbacks from when the dog bit him as a child started to pop into his head. He started to feel like something bad was going to happen. Ram noticed that King was starting to have a panic attack, and needed to get King thinking about something else, so Ram moved up the side of the bed closer to King’s head, and leaned forward so he could bring his face closer to King’s. Ram thought about it for a second and came up with an idea.

“P’, why don’t you think about all the information you know about your plants? Maybe if you think about your plants it will keep you from focusing on the pain. Do you think you can do that?,” Ram asked. King nodded but still looked like he was going to have a mental breakdown. Ram grabbed King’s face with both hands and brought his head down to King’s, forehead to forehead.

Ram looked King in the eye and spoke softly, “It’s going to be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m going to be here the whole time and make sure you are okay afterwards.” King took a deep breath and looked pleadingly at Ram.

“Will you stay with me tonight?,” King asked. King hated to have to rely on Ram for help but he never had an injury like this one before and was a bit worried about himself. He was a bit of a baby when it comes to pain actually and would feel better if Ram was around, just in case. King figured that once he got through the first 24 hours he should be fine and be able to take care of himself. 

“Of course. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving you alone anyway,” Ram said affirmatively.

King and Ram rubbed their noses affectionately and then gave each other a soft peck on the lips before Ram lifted his head up. 

“Remember to think of all the plant information that you know, okay?,” Ram reminded King. King nodded his head as he looked up at Ram. They then heard a knock at the door.

Thara came in with the materials he needed to suture King’s wound. Ram moved back down the bed so Thara could set everything up near King’s head. King was starting to get nervous and made eye contact with Ram, so Ram held out his hand and King grabbed it. Thara numbed the area and was ready to proceed.

“Ready?,” Thara asked. King nodded. King closed his eyes as he prepared for the prickling of the needle. He held Ram’s hand tightly and started to spout plant information in his head.

“The snake plant has thin, upright leaves that look like snakeskin. It prefers bright light, but it can survive in lower light levels. Snake plants filter out chemicals so one can breathe easy in one’s home…,” King thought as he started to feel a bit of a tugging at his head. He closed his eyes tighter as he dug his nails into Ram’s hand to help manage his pain and fear.

Ram watched as Thara started putting in the stitches and had to close his eyes shut a few times to endure the pain of King’s nails going into his skin. He heard King groan while Thara was stitching him up.

“Don’t move, stay still, “ Thara instructed King. Ram continued to let King squeeze his hand to try to take some of King’s pain away. After a few more stitches and groans from King, Thara finished up. King was a bit out of it and was emotionally and physically exhausted from the whole experience. Thara ended up giving Ram the aftercare instructions, including keeping the stitches dry, and some pain medication in case King needed it. Ram was thankful for Thara’s help and let him know that as they walked out of the exam room.

“No problem, Nong. Anytime. Please let your senior know to contact me if he needs anything,” Thara replied. Ram nodded.

Thara then stopped Ram suddenly and asked, “Are you both going to the volunteer camp with Duen and Bohn?” Ram nodded again and Thara’s smile spread across his face. 

“That’s great. I’ll be attending also. I’m excited! It will be Cupcake’s first time to go away! See you later, Nong,” Thara said excitedly before heading back to see another patient. Ram shook his head amused at Thara’s excitement about his lizard before heading out the door with King.

Ram brought King back to his car and got him buckled up into the passenger seat. Ram slowly walked around to the driver’s side and got in. Ram then looked at King who was sleeping peacefully. He took a deep breath in relief, started the engine, and drove King back to his condo.

*************** 

When Ram and King finally got to King’s condo, Ram laid King in his bed to let him rest. He watched King’s chest rise and fall as he breathed. Ram was thankful that King was okay. If anything worse had happened to him, Ram didn’t know what he would do with himself. The whole situation really shook him up.

While King slept, Ram decided to go make something for King to eat for when he wakes up. Ram moved through King’s apartment. Ram saw his Venus Fly Trap, picked it up, and greeted it by touching its leaves. 

“Why don’t you come with me while I make your Por some food,” he said to the Venus Fly Trap as he walked into King’s kitchen. He put the Venus Fly Trap on the counter and started to look around for something he could make for King. He occasionally stopped and touched its leaves as he moved around King’s kitchen, as if the Venus Fly Trap was soothing his nerves and providing him comfort.

***************

Ram put a bowl of congee and a glass of water on a tray. As he brought it back to King’s room, and put it on his bedside table, King started to wake up. King woke up feeling a bit confused. Ram sat on the bed, helped pull King up from laying down and moved King’s pillows to help him sit up.

“I dreamed I got stitches,” King said.

Ram looked at King seriously and said, “You are not dreaming.” King looked up at Ram and brought his hand up to his head and flinched from the pain. King couldn’t believe it!

“How could you let them stitch me? I am scared of needles!,” King exclaimed.

Ram sighed, “I know.” King then looked at Ram’s hands and noticed that he had marks on his hand. King then remembered that he had been holding Ram’s hand and his nails had been digging into his skin. King felt bad and looked up at Ram. Ram had turned around to get him his food. King sat up higher and took the bowl from Ram.

Ram then looked at King seriously and said, “You can’t go to the volunteer camp anymore.”

King disagreed, looked at Ram, and said, “Hah, no matter what, I am going. I promised my grandma that I will go see her after the camp.”

Ram countered, “But you’re injured…”

“I’ll have dinner and then medicine. I will sleep at 8 pm. It will be fine tomorrow,” King interrupted before Ram could say more. Ram knew King was being stubborn. King then started eating his congee, glancing up at Ram every few mouthfuls to try to express that he was okay. Ram looked at King with doubt. 

“I’m going to take a shower and get ready for bed while you eat. Be right back. Call if you need me,” Ram told King before laying a quick kiss to his forehead. King stopped eating to watch Ram walk out of his room. King’s head hurt but he didn’t want Ram to worry about him. King told himself that if he ate and got rest that he would be fine the next day. They weren’t leaving for the volunteer camp until Tuesday, so he had one whole day to recover before their trip. King just hoped that Ram wouldn’t be such a worry-wart. 

****************

King was finishing up his congee when Ram came back into their room with a white tank top and black sweatpants on. Ram took King’s bowl and handed King the glass of water to drink. When King was done, King gave the glass back to Ram and Ram brought everything back to the kitchen. When Ram got back to the bedroom, he sat down on the bed.

“Do you want to take a shower or change your clothes?,” Ram asked King. King knew that he couldn’t get his head wet because of his stitches and was still feeling exhausted. King opted for changing his clothes. King told Ram where to find him a pair of pajama pants and a shirt. Ram came back with his clothes and helped King take off his shirt and helped him put the new one on without harming King’s head. 

King then went to take off his pants and Ram turned around to give King some privacy. King looked at Ram’s back while he put his pajama pants on and thought Ram was being so cute.

Ram didn’t want to presume that he would be sleeping in the bed with King just because they slept together last night. Ram was an emotional wreck after he found out about his dad’s affair and King was there to put him back together. Although sleeping and waking up with King this morning felt wonderful, he didn’t want to push King to do it again unless King wanted to. 

Ram got King tucked into bed and King closed his eyes. Ram grabbed a pillow and got up from the bed. King noticed the bed shift and opened his eyes to see Ram stand up.

“Where are you going?,” King asked.

“The living room,” Ram answered. King looked at Ram confused.

“Why?,” King asked. Ram looked at his pillow and then back at King. King stared at Ram and understood.

“Did you think I wouldn’t want you next to me while I sleep?,” King asked. Ram shrugged his shoulders.

“Cool Boy, can you please sleep in the bed with me? I am feeling a bit off after I got the stitches and would feel better if you were close by in case I need something,” King admitted. 

Ram nodded his head and put his pillow back on the bed.

“Plus I like to cuddle with you,” King mumbled into his pillow, closed his eyes, and pretended to be asleep. 

Ram darted his head around to look at King. He got under the blankets, put his head on his pillow and laid on his side facing King. 

“What? I didn’t hear that,” Ram said. Ram heard it but just wanted King to say it out loud again. King remained silent, continuing to pretend that he was asleep.

Ram moved himself closer to King’s face and put his hand on King’s cheek. King’s eyes opened wide and stared into Ram’s.

Ram whispered,” I like cuddling with you, too,” grinning at King. King grinned back. Ram and King were content just laying with each other, but then King suddenly got serious.

“Thank you for taking me to the clinic after I got hit by that man,” King said with gratitude.

“P’, I was so worried about you. I had to make sure that you were okay. I couldn’t live with myself if something worse had happened,” Ram said earnestly. Ram got on his back and looked up at the ceiling.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get there sooner. I could have stopped that man from attacking you. I was so angry that you got hurt and I didn't prevent it. I didn’t like seeing you hurt,” Ram said guiltily. 

King grabbed Ram’s hand under the blankets and squeezed it. Ram turned his head to look at King.

“You have nothing to say sorry for. We had such a great morning and afternoon. There was no way you could have predicted that this would happen. I’m okay, Cool Boy.” King said reassuringly. Ram nodded.

King brought Ram’s hand up to his face and looked at the nail marks on his hand. Ram realized what King was looking at and started to pull his hand back but stopped when King looked at Ram pointedly to stop . King studied the marks on Ram’s hand again and gently touched them with his fingers. Ram held his breath as King brought his head down to kiss one of the nail marks.

He looked back up into Ram’s eyes and said, “Thanks for holding my hand when they stitched me up.”

Ram watched as King looked at the next nail mark, softly kissed it, then looked up at Ram and said, “I’m sorry I dug my nails into your hand.”

King looked back at Ram’s hand and kissed the next mark. 

“You did not have to do that.” 

King’s lips lingered on the last mark and then he looked up and beamed at Ram.

“Why are you kissing my marks?,” Ram asked curiously.

“I just wanted to kiss them and make them all better,” King said candidly.

Ram blinked. King’s words and actions melted Ram’s heart.

Ram got up on his elbow and leaned in close to King while King watched him. Ram softly kissed the side of King’s head, close to the stitch site.

“What was that for?,” King asked.

“I wanted to kiss it and make it all better, too,” Ram said.

King looked at Ram for a few seconds then winced exaggeratedly.

“Oh, I am feeling some pain in another area,” King shared with Ram.

“Where?,” Ram asked concerned and looked over King to see where the pain could be.

King looked at Ram with a twinkle in his eye and brought his finger up to tap on his lips. 

“Will you kiss them and make them better?,” King asked adorably.

Ram smiled at King and obliged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. I couldn't help it. Those nail marks looked like they hurt, so I figured someone had to kiss them and make them better! Then, Ram, of course, had to return the favor! LOL
> 
> Anyways, this was my way of coping with Episode 13, which I will get to eventually in this story of mine.
> 
> Thank you again for reading and giving my fic a chance! I surely appreciate it!


	11. Rainy Days and Mondays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a raining outside and King and Ram decide to hang at King's condo for most of the day to rest before the volunteer camp trip the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, some scenes from Episode 12 were modified for this fic...
> 
> This is a bit of a filler chapter before we get into my version of the volunteer camp trip in Episode 12/13.
> 
> Hope this isn't terrible and you enjoy it! Happy Reading!

Ram and King soon fell asleep after that last kiss goodnight, both content with lying next to each other. King slept for a few hours until he was woken up by pain at his stitch site. He tried to be quiet, but his wince woke up Ram. Ram turned his head and saw King hold his head in pain. King’s breathing was shallow, and his eyes were squeezed shut tightly. Ram turned on the bedside lamp, got out of bed, and went to go get a glass of water. He helped King sit up and put pain medication in King’s hand. Ram then gave King the glass of water. King took his medication with the water, gave the glass back to Ram, and Ram put the glass of water back on the bedside table. 

“Thank you,” King said.

King slowly laid back down as Ram watched him get comfortable. King looked up at Ram and noticed his tribal tattoo on his arm. King thought that tattoos were really cool but was too scared of needles to get one for himself.

“When did you start having tattoos?,” King asked. Ram thought about it. He had wanted one for a long time growing up for multiple reasons. Ram responded.

“High school senior.”

King brought up his hand to touch Ram’s tattoo on his neck with his fingers.

“It’s beautiful. Why did you pick this pattern?” King inquired as he dropped his hand down to the bed. Ram touched his neck.

“It’s a dream catcher, used to chase away bad dreams,” Ram answered. King looked up at Ram’s face.

“You had bad dreams?,” he asked. Ram nodded.

“Still got them after the tattoo?, King asked.

Ram thought about it. Ram used to have really bad night terrors as a kid. Ram still has bad dreams sometimes. Ram looked back at King and nodded in response.

Since he found out about his dad and Pin’s affair, Ram has been having more bad dreams, likely related to the stress from the situation. The only night he didn’t have a bad dream this past week was the night he slept with King. That was the first good night of sleep he had in some time.

“It will be fine. I have bad dreams, too, but everything will be okay when you wake up. Believe me”, King said as he put his hand on top of Ram’s hand on his knee. Ram looked at their hands and then back at King, who was looking at Ram with empathy. King then looked at Ram’s arm again.

“What does this one mean then?,” King asked.

Ram looked at his arm. 

“I don’t remember. I think it’s…,” Ram started to say but noticed that King had fallen back to sleep. Ram stared at King for a while, before tucking King back into his blankets. He continued to watch King sleep. He moved King’s bangs off his forehead and stared at him fondly. He then leaned forward and kissed King’s forehead. Ram then turned off the light, got back under the covers, closed his eyes, and went back to sleep.

*****************

King woke up to hear rain gently pattering outside the window. He slowly opened his eyes and felt a little pain coming from his stitches. He brought his hand up to his head. He looked to his right and noticed that Ram was still sleeping. He noticed the tattoo on Ram’s arm.

King moved his body forward to get a closer look at the tattoo. The first thing he noticed was the sea turtle in the center. The turtle looked encompassed in light. King actually thought it looked like the turtle was surrounded by crowns, but that could be him just trying to associate it with a “king.” It came across like it was getting over a large wave. The tattoo itself came across very strong, and made sense considering that Ram was a boxer and worked out regularly.

King couldn’t help it and actually reached out and started lightly touching Ram’s tattoo with his fingertips.

*****************

Ram slowly woke up to a feathery touch going across his upper arm. He opened his eyes and looked at King as King continued to run his fingertips up and down the design of Ram’s tattoo. Ram felt shivers going down his spine. King noticed that Ram was awake and removed his fingers from Ram’s arm.

“You don’t have to stop,” Ram told King. King hesitated for a second, but then brought a finger back up to the tattoo to run his fingertip up and down the lines and curves. King was mesmerized by the design of the tattoo. 

“You never told me the meaning of this one,” King told Ram. The feeling of King’s finger running up and down his arm was calming and very intimate and Ram savored the feeling.

“You fell asleep before I could to tell you anything,” Ram reminded King.

“Well, I’m awake now, Cool Boy,” King declared and encouraged Ram to continue.

“I had said last night that I didn’t remember, but thinking about it this morning, I can explain about it a little bit more. When I was younger, I was a quiet kid…”

King guffawed, “Really?” Ram gave him an indignant look. 

Ram continued, “Anyway, I had a stutter and it was easier for me not say anything to avoid getting embarrassed because of it. I ended up getting picked on, bullied, and beat up in middle school and high school by a bunch of kids because I didn’t speak up or defend myself. I would come home beaten and bruised and did not want to go to school because of it. My mom pleaded with my dad to do something.” Ram looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath before looking at King.

“My dad decided to take me to a boxing gym owned by one of his clients. They started training me and I started to like it. It was tough at first, but it made me stronger, boosted my endurance, made me more alert, and I just felt better overall. My dad was my main supporter. Despite going in to train a few times a week, I was still getting beat up and still had moments of feeling discouraged. That is when my dad started making time in his schedule to go with me to the boxing gym a few days a week to train with me. My dad ended up building our gym at home so we could work out together there.” 

Ram’s dad was his hero. His dad always encouraged him to work hard, to never give up, and to reach for his dreams. Although not a violent person, his dad supported Ram’s desire to be able to defend himself from his bullies. Ram’s dad supported his desire to train and improve his skills and was with him every step of the way. His dad believed in him so much because he knew that Ram was determined to strive towards and be successful at whatever Ram wanted to be. King realized Ram was starting to get sad, so King scooted closer to Ram and held his hand. 

“During my senior year, I had a big tournament I was training for and found out that some of those bullies were actually training at another gym. I needed to prove to them and myself that I wasn’t a loser. That was the first major tournament that I won. My dad was so proud of me that he offered me a reward for my win, and I asked him if I could get this cool looking tattoo. He let me pick out whatever I wanted and brought me to the tattoo parlor to get it done.”

“It looks like a turtle that fought with all its might to get over a huge crashing wave. Maybe the waves may be representing the rough time period you had as a kid. The turtle moving past the waves could represent all your hard work, endurance, and determination to overcome all the mistreatment you received as a kid,” King interjected. Ram looked at King in amazement.

“I never thought about it that way, but it fits,” Ram admitted. Ram and King sat in silence. King watched Ram closely as Ram’s thoughts drifted to his dad. Ram still couldn’t wrap his head around his dad, who would spend hours sparring with him and supporting him through all his troubles, being the person he is today.

“Are you okay?,” King asked. Ram continued to look at the ceiling and nodded. They continued to lay there, listening to the rain. King suddenly felt pain at his stitch site and winced. He touched his head and closed his eyes. Ram sat up to look at King.

“Are you okay, P’?,” Ram asked.

“My head is hurting again,” King admitted. Ram got up out of bed and went to get a glass of water for King. When he got back, he helped King sit up, grabbed King’s medication from the bedside table and gave it to King with his water. King gave the glass back to Ram, who put it on the bedside table and sat next to King.

“Thanks, Cool Boy,” King said. King did not want to push Ram to talk about his dad. He waited a moment before he asked. 

“Do you want to talk about your dad? It might help, you know, but I don’t want to push you.”

Ram sighed. He sat up facing King and grabbed each hand in one of his. He started rubbing his thumbs along King’s hands to anchor himself. King squeezed back to let Ram know that he was there with him.

“It’s so hard for me to reconcile that the dad that I looked up to as a great man, great husband, and a great dad, who showed me so much love growing up, could hurt my mom, Ruj, and I so much.”

“Were your parents having any problems?,” King asked.

“Not that I know of,” Ram responded.

“Relationships are like plants. They have to live and grow. They can’t be mangled, starved, harmed by bugs, or dried out. They also have to be watered regularly, receive sunlight and nutrients, and live in the right temperature. A weed competes with plants for water, sun, and nutrients, leaving non-weed plants starving. This loss leaves the plant weak and prone to insect and disease infestation,” King shared.

King continued, “One or both of your parents may have not been getting what they needed to keep their relationship living and growing. Some thing or things may have impacted the stability of their relationship.” King looked at Ram’s face.

“You are feeling a lot of emotions at once and don’t know what to do,” King guessed. Ram nodded.

“I don’t want to act before thinking about the consequences and the impact on my family. I feel like I want to confront my dad, but I am afraid about what he is going to say and what I may do,” Ram admitted. 

“Would confronting Pin be a better option?,” King asked. Ram thought about it.

“Maybe. She is usually levelheaded. It doesn’t make sense for her to be so thoughtless. I think I need to think about it a little more, weigh the pros and cons about confronting either of them,” Ram said and looked at King.

King said, “Well, if you want to run ideas by me, I’m here for you, okay, Cool Boy?”

Ram nodded. King and Ram looked out the window and noticed it was still raining.

“Are you thinking of heading home soon? We have the volunteer camp trip tomorrow. You probably want to get packed,” King inquired. Ram pouted.

“Getting rid of me?,” Ram joked.

“No! No! I’m not trying to get rid of you. I just…,” King started. Ram and King have been together the whole weekend. King didn’t want to come across as needy, but he honestly liked spending time with Ram and didn’t want to push it since their relationship was so new.

“…didn’t want to presume you wanted to stay another night”, King admitted.

“Do you want me to?,” Ram asked.

“Do you want to stay another night?,” King countered and looked at Ram’s face. Ram brought his hand to King’s cheek and King leaned on his hand, relishing the feeling of Ram’s warmth.

“I want to be where you are,” Ram disclosed in a whisper. 

“What about your stuff for the trip though? Should we head over to your condo and pick up your stuff?,” King suggested. Ram nodded his head vigorously in agreement and smiled at King.

“Could we water the plants first? The best time to water plants is in the morning because it allows the plants time to dry before the sun goes down,” King informed Ram. Ram nodded.

“Sounds like a plan,” King proclaimed. 

***********************

Ram was interested in how King took care of all of his plants. The first time Ram had entered into King’s condo, it was a bit overwhelming to be surrounded by all the plants and plant pictures. 

King had a routine for taking care of his plants. He would start on one end and then take care of each plant until he got through all the plants in his condo. This often took a good chunk of time, thus the reason why King woke up pretty early in the morning. With Ram being here, he hoped Ram would help him take care of his plants in a timelier manner. King brought Ram over to show him some of his plants.

“If you look at the leaves, the plant will tell you if it needs water. If the plant is really dry, the leaves get droopy and they start turning yellow and fall off or start browning. Other types of plants are more succulent, and you have to look at the soil. If the soil is shrinking from the sides of the pot and if you put your finger in the soil and it feels like the desert, the plant probably needs water…”, King started to explain to Ram. King gave Ram instructions on what plants to bring to the sink if they are really dry to help soak the soil through with the water and how to pour the excess water out. King then showed Ram his watering cans. King started to explain how come he puts water in the cans over a few days for the chemicals to dissipate or evaporate from the water and the importance of using as pure water as much as possible. Ram had not realized how much one had to do to take care of plants. Ram was starting to feel overwhelmed by all the information and it showed on his face. King noticed.

“I’m sorry. Is it too much? You know I can talk about plants all day. Why don’t you stand next to me and we’ll just work on the plants together? How does that sound?,” King proposed. Ram nodded in agreement.

King and Ram stood side by side, checking on each of King’s plants. King would greet each plant, introduce Ram, examine the plant, and then give Ram instructions for watering. They did this for a while until Ram was starting to get the hang of what he should be doing. When Ram got to a plant, introduced himself, and figured out what it needed, King was so happy that he kissed Ram on the cheek. Ram was happy that he was making King happy. They got through all the plants until they got to the last one. King and Ram noticed Ram’s Venus Fly Trap on the counter in the kitchen. 

King watched as Ram picked up his Venus Fly Trap, greeted it, and touched its leaves. 

“Make sure to water it to the point where the soil is thoroughly saturated,” King instructed Ram. Venus Fly Traps had to be taken care of a certain way and King new that plant was important to both of them.

King watched as Ram started having a quiet conversation with the Venus Fly Trap and said,” Your Por wants me to make sure you are properly fed so I’ll be giving you your water now” and then proceeded to water the Venus Fly Trap.

King wasn’t sure if he heard correctly.

“Did you just call me its father?,” King clarified what he thought he heard. Ram looked at the plant and then turned around to look back at King and nodded. King was so moved by the statement that he walked up to Ram and put his hands on the counter on both sides of Ram’s body, trapping Ram between the counter and King. King smashed his lips onto Ram’s. Ram was shocked for a second before he started respond to the kiss. Ram brought his hands up and held King’s face and readjusted their angle as they continued to kiss. Ram gently ran his tongue across King’s lips eliciting a quiet moan from King. They got up for air and touched foreheads before Ram brought his arms around King’s shoulder for a hug. King wrapped his arms around Ram’s waist, and they held each other for a few seconds before they let go. King grabbed Ram’s hand and lead him to the bedroom to get ready and head over to Ram’s condo to pick up his stuff.

******************** 

King and Ram went over to Ram’s place, picked up his stuff, and went to the grocery store to buy some ingredients in order to make lunch together at King’s house. King and Ram had separately bought ingredients for what they wanted to make for lunch. They got back to King’s condo and put the groceries on the counter.

While Ram put his bag for the trip in the bedroom, King looked inside Ram’s grocery bag to see what he had bought. King noticed that Ram had bought papaya, carrots, fish sauce, coconut sugar, pickled fish, tomato, chili, long green beans, garlic, and a lime. Ram walked back into the kitchen and stood behind King. He put his chin on King’s shoulder while King was looking in Ram’s grocery bag. King turned to the side to look at Ram’s face.

“Are you going to make papaya salad?,” King questioned. Ram nodded his head on King’s shoulder.

“You know how to make Papaya salad?,” King asked surprised. He was learning new things about Ram every day. Ram nodded his head again.

“Well, feel free to use whatever you need in the kitchen, okay?,” King told Ram. Ram gave King a peck to his temple before grabbing his grocery bag. Ram started taking out his ingredients while attempting to look at what King had bought.

“So, I’m going to make us some sticky rice. I also bought pre-prepared sun dried pork. I just have to deep fry the pork. Sound good?,” King asked. Ram nodded with a smile before getting back to his food preparation.

Ram enjoyed cooking. It was something he did with his grandmother when he was a kid. She would cook Thai dishes and would make him help her prepare the ingredients. It brought about a lot of happy memories for him. 

King liked to cook but didn’t do it very often. Between being a hazer, studying for school, tutoring his juniors, and other activities, he often did not have time to cook meals, especially since it was kind of a waste to make a meal for one.

After King put rice in the rice cooker and turned it on, he glanced over at Ram who had finished cutting the papaya and carrot and was using a mortar and pestle to pound and mix his other ingredients. He watched as Ram put 2 chilis into the mortar and started pounding it with the pestle. King thought Ram looked so handsome when he was focused on cooking. 

King can’t believe how attached he was getting to Ram. The more he spent time with him the more it seemed like it would be harder to be apart. It was so natural for them to just be together. King was starting to wonder if the idea of keeping their distance at the volunteer camp was going to be as easy as he originally thought.

Unbeknownst to King, Ram was very much enjoying all the time he was getting with King and was having similar doubts about the idea of keeping their distance during the volunteer camp. Ram felt like it was going to be hard to keep himself away from King but would respect whatever King wanted.

King finished deep frying the pork as Ram was finishing up the papaya salad. Ram brought the food to the table and King brought the plates and utensils. King and Ram sat opposite of each other, gave each other a look, and started filling up their plates with rice, pork, and papaya salad.

King watched as Ram got his fork to taste his papaya salad. King watched as Ram chewed and swallowed. Ram suddenly started turning red and giggled to himself. King checked if he was okay.

“It tastes really good, but I might have put in too much chili,” Ram laughed embarrassed.

“Why didn’t you leave the chili out?,” King asked laughing with Ram. 

“Actually, I like to eat spicy food, but my body says no. My mouth says keep eating, but my body says, ‘no way’,” Ram confessed. King roared with laughter at Ram’s comment and Ram couldn’t help but to laugh with him. King’s laughter brought Ram such joy that he felt like he wanted to do whatever he could to make King laugh happily like that again. King decided to try the papaya salad himself.

“This is actually really good. I like it. Try it with the pork and rice. They all go really well together,” King suggested and made eye contact with Ram. “Kind of like us,” Ram and King both thought.

King and Ram continued to eat and enjoy their time eating lunch together. King would sometimes get some pork and put it on Ram’s plate. It made Ram’s heart swell and he would eat whatever he was given because King gave it to him. After eating their fill, they put the leftovers away and did the dishes. King and Ram stood side by side at the sink, King washing dishes while Ram would dry, their hips sometimes touching. 

Afterwards, King took his pain medicine and then pulled Ram to the sofa to relax. They looked out the window and noticed it was still raining outside. Being full of a good meal and the rhythmic tapping of the rain on the windows was starting to get King sleepy. Ram noticed and pulled King down to lay on the sofa. Ram laid on his side and allowed King to lay his head on his arm. King breathed in Ram’s scent whose smell was reminiscent of a running stream with hints of basil, lavender, sage, and sandalwood. It was intense like Ram and King liked it. He continued to breathe it in, while in Ram’s arms, and started to fall asleep. Ram observed King fall asleep before succumbing to sleep himself. 

****************************

The first thing King noticed when he woke up a few hours later was that him and Ram were wrapped around each other. King and Ram’s legs were entwined, and they were both holding each other tightly. King admitted that he liked being in Ram’s arms. 

King knew they had to get up, so he tried to wake up Ram.

“Cool Boy! Wake up!,” King said but to no avail.

King grabbed onto Ram’s side and started tickling Ram. Ram yelped and shifted his body and fell off the sofa, hitting his head on the coffee table.

“Cool Boy! I’m so sorry!,” King exclaimed. He got off the couch and helped Ram off the floor. 

“Are you okay?,” King asked as Ram rubbed the back of his head. Ram shook his head. He pointed to the back of his head and looked pointedly at King.

“Huh?,” King asked. Ram pointed to the back of his head again. King continued to look at him with a confused look.

“Kiss it and make it better?,” Ram asked. King looked at Ram, rolled his eyes, and grabbed Ram’s head above his ears. He then tilted Ram’s head down and kissed the back of his head.

“All better?,” King asked. Ram nodded with a goofy smile on his face.

“I need to pack for the trip, do you want to help me?,” King asked. Ram nodded. Ram followed King back into his bedroom and sat on his bed while King got out a backpack. Ram watched as King started pulling out clothes, towels, and toiletries and put them on the bed. Ram started folding things and packing them in the bag, encouraged by King’s smile. By the time they were done, it was early evening.

****************************

“Are you hungry?,” King asked. Ram shook his head. 

“What about a movie?,” King tried. Ram’s eyes lit up and nodded his head.

King got his remote for his Smart TV and gave it to Ram to go through movies on Netflix while he got them some drinks and heated up some popcorn. King brought the bowl of popcorn, chips, some other snacks, and drinks to the coffee table. Then, he went to get a blanket. King sat next to Ram and put the blanket on top of their legs.

“Find anything you want to watch?,” King asked. Ram scanned through the movie list and stopped. King looked at the screen.

“Little Shop of Horrors? No way. I can’t deal with Audrey II exploding,” King said adamantly. Although a classic movie, King could never stomach Audrey being destroyed. He grabs the remote, scans through the movies, and stops.

“Ip Man 4?,” King asked Ram. Ram liked martial arts films but wasn’t feeling it right now. Ram shook his head and took the remote from King again. He scanned through the movies again and stopped. He looked at King 

“The Notebook? Are you kidding me?,” King asked disbelievingly. King had nothing against dramas, it’s just he was more into happy, upbeat movies than tearjerkers. He would think Ram would know that. He turned his body away from Ram, crossed his arms, and sulked.

“P’King, I was just joking. I know you really don’t like the serious stuff,” Ram said apologetically. King continued to face away from him. Ram grabbed King by the waist and laid his head on King’s back and begged.

“P’King, please forgive me. Let’s watch something funny, okay?,” Ram asked. King nodded yes and Ram closed his eyes and hugged King again before letting King go. They then faced the TV and Ram searched for something funny to watch. They came across Swiss Army Man and read the synopsis. They both looked at each other and smiled in agreement. 

Ram played the movie and they got settled on the sofa. King sat close to Ram and laid his head on Ram’s shoulder. He then turned his head to look up at Ram. Ram was pretending to be focused on the movie. King poked Ram’s side and made him flinch. Ram then looked at King who was about to say something, but Ram stopped King with a kiss on the lips. King and Ram both smiled into the kiss then started watching the movie.

Ram and King would laugh, talk, and make comments throughout the duration of the movie. They ate snacks, sometimes feeding each other, or giving the other a drink when they needed. They really enjoyed themselves. When the movie ended, Ram helped King clean up the living room and put all the trash, food, and drinks away. They then got ready for bed. Ram reminded King to take his medicine, and King did. They laid next to each other in bed, sometimes talking, but other times, just being happy that they were able to spend some time together. 

Ram and King ended up talking about the plan to hang out with their respective friends at the volunteer camp trip instead of each other. Having spent 24/7 with each other for the last few days, King and Ram both had some worries about being able to distance themselves from each other. Both King and Ram knew that they functioned apart fine before they got together and they both wanted to be able to do things separately without the other. They both did not want to be a couple that had to be together all the time, even if, deep down, they wanted to be with each other because they really did enjoy being together. 

Ram admitted being worried about King and him being able to take care of himself because of his injury. King told Ram that staying home and relaxing with Ram really helped in his recovery and was feeling better. Plus, King noted that he is a hazer and can handle things on his own. King encouraged Ram not to worry about him. Ram nodded in understanding, for now. Ram was determined to look out for King anyway, even from afar. They continued to talk late into the night until both of them started to get sleepy. Right before they went to sleep, they turned on their side to look at each other. 

“Cool Boy, thanks for hanging out with me all day. You didn’t have to, but I am glad you did,” King said with gratitude. 

“I’m glad I did, too. Talking to you made me feel better about taking my time to figure out my family situation. I was so happy to spend the whole day, really the last few days, with you. 

Both Ram and King were pleasantly surprised of how they were both able to feel so comfortable doing domestic things together without it feeling awkward or forced. It just felt right being together. Even though they were completely different in personality and ways of doing things, for some reason, they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. 

I’m going to miss being around you the next few days,” Ram admitted sadly.

“I’ll miss you, too, but we’ll still hang out a little bit on the trip since you do interact with me on a regular basis as my junior,” King said to reassure him. Ram nodded and looked away.

“Come on, we better sleep or we aren’t going to wake up in the morning,” King said.

King snuggled with Ram, brought their faces together, and rubbed Ram’s nose with his own in an Eskimo kiss before he kissed Ram on the cheek. Ram returned the favor and rubbed King’s nose with his own in an Eskimo kiss before kissing his forehead. They rested happily next to each other for the rest of the night, feeling fulfilled in each other’s presence, until tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *SPOILER ALERT*  
> I do have to say that watching Episode 14 was clearly how I envisioned their forehead touches in my head!
> 
> To understand this chapter a little bit more, you may want to refer to Perth Nakhun (Ram)'s youtube channel. The idea of the papaya salad was taken from "Perth's Kitchen" and some of the moments during the lunch scene were from that video. 
> 
> Some of their moments while they were watching the movie were ones they had acted out in their Inside News Tonight interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBj2HKJhanM
> 
> If you want to see the moments in pictures, I am also crossposted at Wattpad and they are included in my fic there. 
> 
> Thanks again for being patient with me in writing this fic and hope you can continue reading it despite the series ending! 
> 
> Have a great day!


	12. Shower Me With Your Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King gets a call from Tee asking where he was because the buses for the volunteer camp were going to leave soon. King panics and tries to get him and Ram to the meeting point but gets sidetracked along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING**: This chapter contains mature content. Please read at your own risk. 
> 
> I had to do it because it was the next scene in the timeline.
> 
> Obviously, a scene from Episode 12 was used for this chapter...

King was sleeping peacefully dreaming of walking through a beautiful garden with Ram when he started hearing an annoying ringing. Ram was looking at him adoringly amongst the flowers but King was moving away from him. King tried to run back to him but he kept on hearing the ringing.

King woke up, realizing his phone was ringing and turned over to grab his phone off of the bedside table. He answered the phone.

“Hello.”

“Where are you?,” Tee asked.

“I am in my room, why?", King responded.

“Come on. You’re still sleeping? The bus is leaving. Come quick!,” Tee demanded.

“What?", King exclaimed and sat up quickly. He looked at the time on his phone and got back on the phone with Tee. King was never late to anything. He was always punctual.

“Wait for me, I will be there now!,” King told Tee and hung up quickly.

King looked at Ram, who was sleeping peacefully beside him.

“Cool Boy! The bus is leaving!”, King notified Ram in panic. 

“Cool Boy! Get up!”

When Ram didn’t respond, he grabbed Ram’s arm and pulled him up. Ram looked at King still drowsy from sleep. Ram was also having a dream of him and King working out at the gym, doing drills, and Spiderman Plank kisses. 

“Still daydreaming? Go shower!", King commanded. Ram looked at him but wasn’t moving. King pulled on his arm.

“The bus is leaving!”, King said but Ram pulled back so King would look at him.

“Quick, just shower together! If not, we won’t catch them in time!”, King said agitatedly while pulling Ram off of the bed. Ram was so sleepy he just did he was told and followed King into the bathroom and closed the door.

*************

“Come on, Cool Boy! Take off your clothes!”, King said as he turned on the water to heat up. He started taking off his shirt and pants.

Ram finally woke up when he realized the situation he was currently in. He was about to get in the shower with his boyfriend. They just started dating. He hadn’t even touched King under his clothes. Heck, he hadn’t even touched King over his clothes. Ram wasn’t sure if he would be able to control himself with a naked King in front of him.

Ram observed King take off his shirt and pants, but then he couldn’t breathe after what he saw next. King was slightly bent over showing Ram a perfect view of his ass, wearing low waist, fitted, boxer-briefs. They were white, brown, and black and made of nylon. The design was a Hawaiian print of long leaves and white Hibiscus flowers. The material looked both smooth and soft and Ram had the sudden urge to run his hands all over those boxer briefs.

King was about to take off his underwear when he realized that he hadn’t heard anything from Ram. He turned around abruptly to encourage Ram to get undressed but found Ram motionless, ogling at his underwear. King didn’t have time for this.

Besides being smart, King was very responsible. Although he comes across as easy going, King is organized and systematic about what he does. With taking care of Ram, getting stitches, and experiencing pain, he may not have been completely on his game and is now dealing with the consequences. He was a bit upset with himself that he and Ram completely forgot to set their alarms considering they were discussing their plans for the trip right before they went to bed. Now, their plan to meet at the volunteer camp meeting point separately was completely botched up.

King knew Tee wouldn’t leave anyone behind because Tee needed bodies to show how successful the volunteer program was. Tee would not leave King because he was one of the most respected and hard-working Hazers and would be able to lead, guide, and encourage the volunteers. King knew that Tee would try to come up with a way to postpone the buses from leaving without them. The good thing was that Tee had told everyone to arrive 1 hour early to make sure everyone showed up on time for their departure. They still had some time. King lived 5 minutes from campus, but he and Ram still needed to hurry.

“Snap out of it, Cool Boy! We got to go!!! Get undressed! We have to take a shower or we’re going to be late!”, King demanded.

King went up to Ram, grabbed the bottom of his shirt, and quickly pulled it up over Ram’s head. He then grabbed Ram’s pants and pulled them down and helped Ram out of them. King then realized he was eye level with his boyfriend’s crotch. King stood up quickly and turned around, a bit embarrassed at how he might have looked by taking Ram’s clothes off.

By this point, Ram was able to recognize that King was just trying to hurry up so they can make it to the bus on time. Ram knew that King hated being a burden to anyone. Even though they woke up late, Ram felt like they still had time. Since he was on the volunteer camp committee, he also knew about Tee’s quota and about telling all the volunteers to show up an hour early. Ram decided to allow King to take charge and take off his shirt and his pants but did not know how to feel if King took off his underwear. With King crouching close to his crotch area, he thought he would die from embarrassment, and was glad that King finally figured out their predicament.

“P’, do you want to take a shower first? I can wait outside,” Ram asked and caused King to turn around to look at him.

“No. We won’t have time. We got to be in and out of this shower, dressed, and head out to the meeting point as soon as possible,” King said determinedly.

“P, are you okay with this? We haven’t exactly seen each other naked before,” Ram asked.

King attempted to rationalize taking a shower together in his head and out loud.

“It’ll save us time if we shower together. It will be like us taking a shower at the gym in the men’s locker room. No big deal.”

Ram didn’t think so. Not at all, but he nodded his head in agreement and that was a sign to King that taking a shower together was a go. King felt awkward and nervous but tried to be brave. He needed to get them out of the condo and to the bus. This was the fastest way he told himself. King took a deep breath and took off his underwear. He slid the shower door open and was about to step into the shower when he felt Ram’s hand on his wrist pulling him back.

“Hold on, P’. You can’t get your head wet because of your stitches,” Ram said as he moved King away from the water.

King completed forgot and touched his head. He then watched Ram take off his underwear and gulped to himself. Ram turned off the water and pulled King back into the shower stall farthest from the showerhead and then followed him inside. Ram slid the shower door shut and then turned the water back on.

“I’ll help you so you don’t get your head wet. Let me start on me first, then I’ll help you,” Ram informed King.

King was captivated by how handsome Ram was. He watched as Ram closed his eyes and put his head under the showerhead, water flowing down his well-defined body. Ram was struggling. He couldn’t look at King because it was making him want to touch him, taste him, and do tons of other things to him, but Ram wanted to respect King’s statement that this was just like “showering at the gym.” He did not want to do anything that King did not want to do, especially if he wasn’t ready.

Ram grabbed the shampoo, put some in his hand, and lathered his hair. King wanted to reach out and put his own hands through Ram’s hair but was hesitant. King was struggling, too. He didn’t know why he thought that showering together would be like them showering at the gym.

While continuing to watch Ram rinse the shampoo out of his hair with his eyes closed, King unconsciously took that opportunity to check out his boyfriend. King glanced down Ram’s chest to his abs and then down his happy trail. King swallowed. He continued to go lower until he got to Ram’s crotch area. He had never stared at another man’s cock before, but he could probably stare at Ram’s all day. It wasn’t too big or too small and it lay flaccid on a bed of nicely trimmed hair. King felt like his brain was starting to malfunction.

Ram finished off rinsing his hair and opened his eyes to look at King. Ram followed his line of sight and realized that King was admiring him. Ram smirked.

“I guess I’m not the only one who thinks that we’re not showering at the gym anymore,” Ram thought.

“Well, if he wants to stare at my body, I might as well give him a show,” Ram thought, deciding to tease King a bit. Ram grabbed a bar of soap and started to slowly lather his arms and chest. He focused on lathering up soap on his pecs, near his nipples, and then his hand scrubbed lower, down his hard abs, thoroughly washing every part of his skin as the water continued to cascade down his body from above him.

King was mesmerized by the soap touching parts of Ram’s body but shook himself out of it. King needed to get them back on track or they would never leave.

“Wait!,” King exclaimed. “Shouldn’t I be washing, too?”, King asked. Ram stopped what he was doing and looked at King. King appeared tense and stressed and all Ram wanted to do was help him relax.

“Okay, P’, hold on,” Ram said. He turned around to grab the showerhead from the mount and while doing so, gave King a quick view of his tight, firm muscular butt. King took a glance at Ram’s left butt cheek and confirmed that Ram still had a birthmark the shape of a dog paw. King took a deep breath and put his arm up on the wall to hold himself up because he didn’t think he could handle being close to Ram anymore.

Ram turned around and saw King lean on the wall for support. He moved closer to King and grabbed his shoulder. King started to feel heat throughout his whole body.

“Are you okay? Are you feeling dizzy?”, Ram asked worriedly. Ram was concerned that King’s head was hurting badly. He suddenly felt bad for trying to tease King. Ram's purpose shifted and he was now determined on taking care of King by getting him washed, dressed, and feeling better.

King felt ashamed. Ram was worried about him because he thought King’s head was hurting when in reality King was passing out from looking at Ram’s hot body. King needed to recover to get through this damn shower!

Ram took the showerhead off the shower mount and was about to offer to spray King with water, but King took it as Ram giving it to him. King took the showerhead from Ram, then turned around and started spraying his body with water.

Ram was taken by surprise and hadn’t realized that he would be looking at King’s round and firm ass. He watched as the water went down King’s back and then over and between the beautiful mounds in front of him. Ram was getting thirsty and it wasn’t for water. He snapped out of his stupor when King brought the showerhead in his line of vision.

“Can you pass me the soap?”, King asked. King was standing sideways, half facing the wall, mostly because he was feeling shy. King was also feeling embarrassed about the situation they were in, which he had no one to blame, but himself.

Ram nodded and put the showerhead back on the mount. He grabbed the soap and attempted to hand it to King. The soap was so sudsy that as soon as King’s hand was wrapped around it, it slipped out of his hands and fell to the bottom of the shower stall.

“Don’t move! I’ll get it,” Ram called out. The last thing he needed was King getting his head wet or him getting hurt. Ram turned around and bent over to grab the soap. King watched in astonishment as Ram attempted to pick up the soap multiple times, bent over with his butt in the air.

The soap was super slippery and Ram couldn’t get his hands on it. It kept on sliding out of his hands and moving up and down the bottom of King’s shower. Ram turned around to face King and noticed that it was near King’s foot. He moved to pick it up, but the floor was slippery from the soap skating around King’s shower, having left soapy residue in its wake. Ram tried to right himself but ended up slipping. King watched as Ram fell forward right into King’s arms.

King caught him with an “Oof.” King had grabbed Ram’s torso to keep him from falling. King then attempted to help him stand back up. That led to their bodies aligning, wet and pressed together from chest to thigh.

Time froze for both of them. Ram’s breathing was shallow and he looked at King, who dropped his forehead to Ram’s shoulder.

Ram felt bad for catching King by surprise. He was supposed to get them washed and out of the bathroom, not fall on top of him, and scare King half to death. Ram thought that King was starting to freak out because of him. He was so embarrassed about slipping and causing King distress. He attempted to rub King’s back to comfort him, but the sensation of Ram’s hands on King’s body was too much. King started taking deep breaths to try to calm himself down. Ram interpreted that as him needing more comfort, so he held King close and tightly, rubbing King up and down from his shoulders down to the top of his ass, hoping that King would feel better.

King’s forehead was still on Ram’s shoulder and he watched drops of water continue to drift down Ram’s chest. He saw one hanging on his shoulder and slowly move down to Ram’s chest before he decided to stop it with his tongue. He lapped up the water from Ram’s chest to his shoulder, then started slowly dropping light kisses on Ram's shoulder.

Ram froze his hands as soon as King had his warm tongue on his skin. He turned his head and watched as King started kissing his shoulder. Ram moved both of his hands slowly down King’s wet back until he got to King’s ass and had one cheek in each of his hands. He started kneading the mounds, causing their crotches to rub together, eliciting moans from both King and Ram. King swung his head back and Ram dived at his neck and started licking, sucking, and kissing him there. Ram kissed up King’s jawline and finally got to King’s lips where they started devouring each other. Both King and Ram’s hands were mapping each other’s bodies with their touch as they continued to make out heavily when, all of a sudden, King’s phone started ringing.

King stopped their Kiss as he focused on the sound coming from the bedroom. He then looked into Ram’s eyes apologetically.

“Cool Boy, I’m sorry. We have to get going,” King said. Ram nodded. He leaned his head down to touch King’s forehead and rubbed their noses together.

“Maybe another time?”, Ram asked hopefully as he held King close. Ram enjoyed holding a wet, sexy King and wanted to have another opportunity to be intimate with him.

“When we have more time, okay?”, King suggested and then kissed Ram on the nose. King enjoyed their shower time and wanted to spend time together, but they had to go.

Ram reluctantly backed away from King, found the soap, and handed it to him, and he immediately started lathering himself up. Ram busied himself by grabbing the conditioner and lathering it in his hair. He rinsed off and then asked King for the soap since he hadn’t finished washing. He gave King the showerhead to rinse himself off before King gave it back to Ram to rinse himself off. Ram turned off the water and they stepped out of the shower stall. King grabbed a towel for Ram before grabbing one for himself. They started drying off, each peeking at the other one when the other wasn’t looking. They put the towels around their waists and King grabbed Ram’s hand and dragged him back to the bedroom. Ram and King got dressed in their gold shirts and pants, grabbed their bags, and started to get ready to leave.

King texted his sister to come by to water the plants while Ram touched the Venus Fly Trap’s leaves and said goodbye to it before putting it outside on King’s balcony so it can get more direct sunlight.

“I’m texting my sister to make sure to bring the Venus Fly Trap back inside when she comes by,” King informed Ram. Ram nodded.

“Got everything?”, King asked. Ram nodded. He started walking towards the front door. He was texting Tee that they were on their way when Ram grabbed his wrist.

King turned to look at Ram. Ram grabbed King’s neck and brought his lips to Ram’s so he could steal a kiss. King put his phone in his pocket and wrapped his arms around Ram.

They brought their foreheads together.

“This will be our last kiss for the next few days,” Ram said, suddenly saddened by the thought. Ram knew that they wanted to keep things quiet about their relationship to enjoy the trip, hang with their respective friends, avoid being teased, and avoid social drama with their fan clubs. Ram wasn’t sure if not being able to be together for a few days was worth it.

“Cool Boy! Come on! How hard can it be to be away from each other? We’ll be fine,” King said, mostly to try to talk himself and Ram into believing it. They gave each other one last peck on the lips and a hug before they walked out of King’s condo and headed over to the meeting point for the volunteer camp. Little did they know that being apart may be a lot harder than they thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this did not turn out lame and that you were able to get something out of reading this chapter. 
> 
> I have no experience writing shower scenes, and because King and Ram's relationship is so new, I didn't want them to be jumping each others' bones yet. Managing stress together, new relationship awkwardness, and intimacy were the aims of this chapter.
> 
> They both got a taste, and will likely be thirsting for more! LOL
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	13. The Wheels On The Bus Go Round And Round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram are on the bus with their friends heading to the Volunteer Camp. King and Ram get settled on the bus and try to keep up the facade that they are just junior and senior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because there was so much involved on the bus ride to the Volunteer Camp, I had to break it up into two chapters.
> 
> It's a bit of a filler but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

King and Ram left King’s condo and got in the elevator.

“Okay, so I’ll sit with my friends. You’ll sit with your friends. Everyone is used to us interacting, so it’s not any different than what we normally do, right?”, King outlined as they descended to the ground floor.

King was trying to stay positive about their plan. King kept telling himself that he and Ram will be fine and that they were only going to be apart for a few days. Deep down, King was not as confident about keeping their relationship a secret. Even going down the elevator was hard because he wanted to hold Ram’s hand or wrap his arms around him, but he couldn’t. As one of the seniors, King was hoping that he would be so preoccupied with the volunteer camp and helping Tee that the three days would go by quickly and he would be back in Ram’s arms in no time.

Ram nodded in response but looked down at his shoes. He knew that it was best to keep their relationship secret for the trip, but he was already struggling. Ram has to admit that he had gotten a bit spoiled being around King all weekend. Ram feels like he can’t get enough of him. He is used to being close to him, hugging him, kissing him, and touching him whenever he wanted. He also hasn’t had any bad dreams since he starting sleeping next to King. Ram is hoping his friends can occupy him enough so he can keep his distance from King for the next few days.

**********

They finally get to the meeting place and there is nobody outside the buses. King stops Ram.

“Just follow my lead, okay?”, King instructed. Ram nodded and took a deep breath.

They ran over to the bus. King got on first and noticed that Tee was near the driver making announcements. King walked up the steps.

“Hey, I am here!”

Boss saw King and yelled, “Aye!”

Ting Ting noticed Ram and turned to Tang.

“Ram! Ram is here!”, she said excitedly.

Tee looked at King.

“What took you so long?”, Tee asked looking at King and then at Ram, who was a few steps behind King.

“Ok, all is here!”, Tee announced over the microphone. He turned to the driver.

“Driver, get ready to go! Let’s go, driver!”, Tee instructed the driver. He looked back at the rest of the bus.

“That’s great!”, Tee exclaimed. Tee was relieved and bit pissed at King’s tardiness. It wasn’t like King to be so late. He wondered what may have happened and why his line code junior was with King. He looked at King.

“I am sorry I am late,” King apologized sincerely.

“That’s fine”, Tee responded. He saw the gauze on King’s head.

“What happened to your head?”, Tee asked.

“Aww, last night my head…,” King started. King brought his hand to his head and tried to come up with an excuse.

“…hit the corner of the table,” King stated.

“Really?”, Tee asked. He looked at King’s head again curiously and then noticed Ram behind King.

“And you came together? Were you guys together last night?”, Tee inquired. Ram was glad that he was letting King control the situation because he probably would have stuttered an excuse.

“I just bumped into him at the front door just now,” King said denying it. Ram nodded in agreement. Tee thought, “Thou doth protest too much.” It wasn’t too long that someone else chimed in to question them being together.

“Really?”, Ting asked and King and Ram’s friends all smiled knowingly at each other. This is exactly why King and Ram wanted to keep their relationship quiet. Their friends were punks.

All of King and Ram’s friends were observing the whole scene with rapt attention.

Boss, Ting Ting, Tang, and Phu have all been suspicious of the two since Friday when King took Ram to his little plant area behind his house to talk.

Bohn and Duen were both suspicious of the two after King jumped in immediately to help find Ram when Ram hadn’t come home. Ruj had texted Duen later that night and informed him that King had found his brother and was staying the night. Bohn and Duen suspected that King was with Ram the whole weekend because they both didn’t receive any calls or text from either of them, which was unusual.

Tee has been suspicious of the two since P’Kumfah told her the story about Ram being in King’s apartment.

Mek has been suspicious since King started trying to get Ram to talk to him. King never pursued other people for things. People always pursued King for things they needed.

Their friends continued to try to overhear the conversation at the front of the bus.

“Is that true, Cool Boy?”, Tee asked Ram. Ram nodded vigorously.

“Fine. I will act like I believe you”, Tee stated. Tee can’t believe that these two think they are tricking everyone. He pointed at a row of seats near the middle of the bus.

“Go sit there, I kept a seat for both of you,” Tee informed them. “Let’s go!”

“Where?”, King asked. Tee pointed to a row of seats across Thara and Frong.

“There! Go!”, Tee directed.

King allowed Ram to go ahead of him. Duen, Tang, and Ting Ting smiled at Ram as he got onto the bus and down the aisle. Boss said, “Hi!” Thara also smiled at Ram. Ting Ting teased Ram and King by saying, “So slow!” and pointed them back to their seat. Tee got back on the microphone.

“Everyone! Let’s go!”

Everyone whooped in excitement.

“Let’s go, driver!”, Tee told the driver. Everyone on the bus clapped their hands and hollered excitedly to start their long trip north.

**************

Their bus ride would take a total of about 4 hours to an area to the north that needed reforestation. Because of how long the trip was, there was a plan to stop halfway at a rest stop to stretch everyone’s legs, buy snacks, use the restroom, etc. The volunteers were informed about the length and were encouraged to bring things to occupy them while on the bus.

The start of this bus trip was not what Ram and King had planned. They were supposed to meet up with their respective friends and sit with them, but because they were late, they were stuck sitting with each other. Not like that was a bad thing, but it would have been a lot easier if they were able to sit with their friends to distract them from each other. It was hard for both of them to sit next to each other and not be able to touch or talk openly. King wanted to see Ram let his guard down, laugh, and smile like they did last night. Ram wanted to hold King, cuddle, and rub their noses when he felt like it. Ram and King appeared to be a senior and a junior relaxing on a bus ride, but in reality, they were experiencing turmoil inside.

****************

Everyone got settled on the first leg of the trip. Duen was excitedly looking out the window and snacking, while Bohn watched him take pictures of sites he was seeing from his window. Mek and Boss were joking around and eating their snacks. Thara was trying to help Frong with his nausea.

Ram and King were sitting next to each other and not saying anything. Ram had his earphones on, listening to music, while King was just relaxing next to him. After a few minutes, the music stopped. Ram checked his phone and found that his battery was dead. He took off his earphones and looked out the window. King noticed and put an earbud in his ear and picked a song on his playlist. He put the other earbud in Ram’s ear. It was Love Without Rules by Ton Thanasit. Ram heard the words:

**_When we love someone_  
_We love with all of our heart_  
_Don’t care how people look at us_  
_It isn’t important whether we’re in the ground or in the sky_  
_Loving someone doesn’t need a reason_  
_If love is meant to be_  
_Let it go_ **

Ram looked at King.

“Run out of battery?”, King asked. Ram looked him in the eyes and nodded.

“We are even now. Last time you gave me yours,” King said. Ram thought back when he put his earbud in King’s ear on the bus on that rainy day. A little smile formed on his face at the memory.

“You smile. That means you like it,” King presumed and smiled back at Ram. He then closed his eyes while listening to the song. King was remembering that day, too, and how he took Ram’s glasses and Ram’s tattooed arm and took a picture. Ram looked at him fondly.

“I like it,” Ram said. King then looked at Ram and Ram turned his head to look out the window. They continued to listen to the song, sitting right next to each other, thinking about each other, and feeling like they were a world apart.

**_I want to tell you there are no rules when it comes to love_  
_Whether women or men doesn’t matter when we’re in love_  
_What we need to know is how we truly feel_  
_That’s all that matters_  
_The rules may be dreadful_  
_But it’s enough if we keep our hearts together_ **

King closed his eyes but then got irritated by the itchiness on his head. He brought his hand up to rub near the stitch site. Ram noticed him touching his head.

“Itchy?”, Ram asked. King took the earbud out of his ear and looked at Ram.

“What? Why do you ask? It sounds funny,” King said.

Ram blinked and looked at King “I mean your stitches,” he clarified.

“I know. Yes, it’s a bit itchy around the stitches,” King said and started scratching his scalp.

Ram shifted in his seat to get closer to King and attempted to touch King’s head. King made eye contact with Ram. King loved how Ram wanted to take care of him, but not on a bus full of people. He removed Ram’s arm from his head.

“Let’s continue listening,” King suggested and put his earbud back in his ear. Ram observed him for a few seconds before sitting back down in his seat and looking out the window. King sat there thinking and then looked at his handsome boyfriend. Ram tried not to look at King because every time they made eye contact, his heart would flutter and he would want to be closer to King. For now, Ram's only option was to look away.

*************

During the trip, Ting Ting seemed to have a breakdown about the men around her being sweet with each other and her being alone. Ram didn’t know why she was being so dramatic. Tang was able to get her to sit down and calm down. Ram swears that Tang has a thing for Ting Ting but she is completely oblivious.

After that excitement, everyone on the bus continued to chat, sleep, and relax. Ram and King were both keeping their distance from the other. King and Ram continued to struggle with being so close and not being able to act how they wanted, so they limited eye contact and limited talking.

Ram continued to look out the window and tried not to think of King next to him. The problem with that was King was a good distraction for him from thinking about other stuff, like his dad. He thought about how much he cared for King and that he would never want to do anything to intentionally hurt him. He could not fathom his father being okay with hurting his mom.

King noticed that Ram was thinking about something serious and it was likely about his dad. King wanted to be there for Ram but they couldn’t even talk about it on the bus. He considered texting Ram but remembered that his phone was dead. He went into his bag and found his power bank and handed it to Ram. Ram was touched that King was so thoughtful. Ram thanked him and charged his phone. He continued to look out the window and thought about how much King looks out for him. He wished he could give King a “thank you” kiss. What he felt like he needed from King was a hug. Disheartened, Ram continued to look out the window.

King needed to keep himself occupied. He did not want to look in Ram’s direction because it was so hard not to try to hold him and comfort him. He wanted to tell Ram that everything was going to be okay but could not have a serious conversation with him on the bus in front of everyone. He needed to find a way to get Ram alone later to check on him.

King ended up starting a conversation with Thara about what to do about the itching. Thara was able to talk to him for a while about how to take care of the stitches.

After he talked with Thara, King then talked to Boss and Mek about their classes after their break.

**********************

After sitting on the bus for over an hour, Ting Ting, turned to the aisle and King and Ram’s friends, since they were all sitting close to each other, and announced that she had an idea.

“Hey! This bus ride is so boring! Let’s play a game!”, Ting Ting suggested. Tang was all for it. Boss and Duen were nodding their heads in excitement. Bohn looked bored. Ram and King looked at each other, shrugged, and then looked back at Ting Ting.

“Let’s play, Head’s Up! Each row of seats will be a team! One person holds the phone up to their forehead and the other person on your team will give the player clues about what it says. If you get the right answer, you tilt the phone down to score a point and continue to the next answer until 60 seconds are up. If you can’t figure out the answer, you tilt the phone up to skip to the next one. Your team gets one point for every correct answer. The team that has the most points win. Does everybody know how to play?”, Ting asked. Everyone around her nodded.

“Who wants to go first?”, Ting asked. Duen raised his hand and Bohn looked at him like he just ate a sour lemon drop.

After some deliberation, Dohn and Bohn decided that Duen would describe the items, and Bohn would be guessing. They picked the Animals category because they thought it was easy. Duen tried his best to describe different animals, but Bohn was moody about playing and got frustrated easily. They ended up only getting 3 points because the only animals that Bohn was able to recognize was dog, cat, and duck.

Ting Ting and Tang played next. They picked the category Mix it Up, which consisted of cards from different categories. Tang was guessing while Ting Ting was describing. Ting Ting was very animated while she described animals, food, actors, and places to Tang who seemed to figure out her clues. They ended up with 11 points.

Mek and Boss decided to go next. They initially argued about who was going to guess and describe. Boss was adamant that he would be able to guess whatever Mek could describe while Mek looked at him doubtfully. Then Boss had asked to be the one to pick the category and had picked Avengers. What happened had everyone on the bus laughing because Mek would get frustrated with Boss when Boss couldn’t guess. Then he would get upset when Boss would get mixed up about whether he should tilt the phone forward or backward. They ended up with 7 points because Boss had tilted the phone the wrong way multiple times.

King and Ram watched and laughed with their friends. Ram was amused but also a little worried. Ram hated games where he had to talk in front of people he did not know well. The people around him were all his friends, but there were also people on the bus he didn’t know so well. He was not looking forward to playing. Ram knows he could probably just refuse to play, but he doesn’t think his friends will let him. King looked at him and knew instantly that Ram may find the game difficult. He almost reached out to hold Ram’s hand when Ting Ting turned to them.

“P’King and Ram, you’re up!”

All of their friends were looking at them with anticipation to see what will happen. Ting Ting handed them the phone and they looked at the categories. King saw a category that may work for both of them. He showed the category to Ram and Ram looked at King.

“You describe and I’ll guess, okay, Cool Boy?”, King suggested. Ram looked at the category again, then back at King, and nodded. King announced their category as Physical Activity, which consisted of sports, exercise, and other physical activities.

“Ram, you’re going to be the one describing the answers to P’King?”, Ting Ting asked and Ram nodded. King and Ram’s friends started making comments about how low a score they were going to get. King and Ram made eye contact and agreed non-verbally that they wanted to make their friends shut up.

“Ready?”, King asked. Ram nodded. King put the phone up to his forehead to show Ram the word. Ram looked at it and started acting it without talking.

Ram made a gesture like he was holding a bat.

“Baseball!”, King answered. Ram nodded. King tilted the phone down and it brought it back up for Ram to see the next one.

Ram crossed his arms across his chest and scrunched his body forward.

“Sit-ups!”, King answered. Ram nodded. King tilted the phone again, then showed Ram the next word.

King and Ram were like a well-oiled machine, where King would show Ram the word, Ram would act it out, King would guess, and Ram would give him a slight nod, and then do it all over again.

Ram overheard in the background Boss say, “What the! How are they doing that?”

Ram made a gesture like he was dribbling a ball.

“Basketball!”

Ram gestured like he was holding something in each of his hands, making circular motions, and looked like he was hopping in his seat.

“Jump Rope! Jumping Rope!”

King was pumped. This was so easy. He just had to make eye contact with Ram and he completely understood what Ram meant without Ram saying a word.

Ram bought his fists up and made a fighting stance. King thought, “So easy!”

“Boxing!”

Ram brought both palms and pushed both away and towards his chest.

“Push-ups!”

Ting Ting and Tang looked at Ram and King and then back at each other and smiled secretly. They continued to watch and observe.

Ram brought his hand up like he was holding a racket and making gestures like he was hitting a forehand or backhand shot.

“Tennis!”

Ram brought his elbows towards his torso, closed his fists, and started alternating swinging his arms.

“Running!”

Ram nodded vigorously with a small smile. He thought King wouldn’t get that one, but of course, he did.

Ram brought his arms down to his side and then up over his head almost to a clap and did that over and over again.

“Jumping Jacks!”

Tee watched as Ram was able to non-verbally communicate the answers and King being able to guess them correctly. Tee wasn’t surprised at all about this turn of events. Tee didn’t know why King and Ram acted like nothing was going on between them when something was going on.

King’s friends and Ram’s friends both watched amazed as King continued to get every non-verbal gesture that Ram made correctly. They couldn’t figure out how King was able to understand what Ram meant from very little. They were already at 17 straight correct items as the 60-second timer went down.

Ram put his head down and alternated overhand arm strokes and immediately King answered.

“Swimming!”

Ram showed himself holding his left fist up and pulling something invisibly back towards his ear with his other hand.

“Archery!”

Five seconds were left and Ram looked at the answer and his eyes went wide!

Boss stated, “There is no way King is going to get that! Ram can’t act that out!”

There was no way to nonverbally show King the answer on a packed bus. Ram was still confident that King would get it. Ram finally spoke up after not saying anything the whole round.

“Spiderman,” Ram said to King. King, in that instant, saw a flashback of him being thoroughly kissed by Ram while he was doing a plank.

“PLANK!!!”, King yelled with 1 second left on the timer.

Everyone watching screamed in amazement of how King and Ram were able to get 20 points on their round. King and Ram smiled widely and happily with each other for getting the highest points. King patted Ram’s shoulder. While looking at each other, they hadn’t realized how quiet everyone had gotten. They turned from looking at each other towards their friends, who were all staring at them.

“What?”, King asked.

“How’d you get plank from Spiderman? We all don’t get it,” Boss asked while looking at the rest of their friends who were nodding confused and waiting for an answer.

“Um…” King started but he was at a total loss. He didn’t know how to respond to the question without blurting out the truth about him and Ram’s relationship.

Ram felt like he had to help his boyfriend and stated, “Spiderman Plank.”

King caught on immediately and said, “Haven’t you guys heard of the Spiderman Plank?” like King knew what that was exactly.

“There is no such thing as a Spiderman Plank,” Boss argued.

Tang looked at his phone, “Hold on. There is such a thing called a Spiderman Plank” and proceeded to show everyone a video of a person doing a plank and bending his right knee and bringing it up close to his right elbow, and then doing the same with the left knee, alternating each knee.

*****************

While everyone was watching the video, King looked at Ram, who smirked at him and winked. King turned his head quickly to see if anyone noticed but they were still looking at the video. He looked back at Ram who was checking on the charge on his phone. He started texting someone.

King then got a notification and looked at his phone.

**MY COOL BOY:** The word “Spiderman” makes me think about the plank kiss. I miss you.

King looked at Ram and texted Ram back.

**KING:** I’m sitting right next to you.

**MY COOL BOY:** It’s not the same.

Ram looked at King with his puppy dog eyes.

**KING:** Don’t look at me like that!

**KING** : I can’t believe you said “Spiderman”

**MY COOL BOY:** It worked!

**MY COOL BOY:** You know you are thinking about that kiss, too!

King started imagining Ram’s face above his head, their lips moving against each other, and his finger’s in Ram’s hair. He smiled at the memory. That was such a great morning together.

“What are you smiling about King? Who’d you get a text from?”, Boss asked peering over the back of his seat.

“None of your business! Turn around!”, King snapped at Boss. King’s friends were so nosy.

“Wait, how did you know what a Spiderman plank was? You don’t even work out!”, Boss interjected.

The friends looked back at King for his answer.

“I…,” King didn’t know what to say. He brought his hand to the back of his neck and tried to think of something. Then he heard a voice on his left.

“P’King has worked out with me before,” Ram said intervening. King swerved his head and looked at Ram.

“Yeah, right!”, Boss said disbelievingly. King wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or upset that his friends did not believe him. Wait, what were they trying to say?

“Hey, it’s true! I have worked out with Cool Boy!” King admitted, but their friends were shaking their heads in doubt. King wasn’t lying, even if it was one time.

“Sure you have. I’ve asked you to work out with us so many times and you always say no,” Bohn chimed in. Mek, Boss, and Tee nodded in agreement. Bohn then glanced at Ram and continued.

“Look at Ram. You wouldn’t be able to keep up with him in the gym.”

King knew what they were saying was right. He never went to the gym with his friends so why would he go with Ram? King was amazed at how he and Ram were being honest but nobody believed them.

Ram was keeping himself from going off on Bohn and defending King. He hadn’t thought that him intervening would cause them to start talking crap about King.

Ram didn’t care about being secretive. He just cared about King. He turned his body towards King and King looked at Ram.

“Drills,” Ram said. King’s eyes widened in realization, then nodded. He put his hands up with his palms out. Their friends looked on to see what they were going to do.

“1! 2!”, King said loudly. Ram punched lightly with his right and into King’s left hand and punched lightly with his left and hit King’s right hand.

“3! 4!”, King called out. Ram gave him a right hook and a left hook into King’s hands.

“5! 6!”, King said next and shifted his hands in position to catch Ram throwing a right uppercut and a left uppercut.

“2! 5! 6! 1! 3! 4!”, King uttered. Ram threw a straight left, right uppercut, left uppercut, straight right, a right hook, and a left hook, and King’s hands were in the position to catch every single one.

“Woah! You guys have worked out together!”, Bohn observed in amazement.

“Maybe Nong Ram can help you with your scrawny arms!”, Boss commented. King got up and smacked Boss in the head while Mek pulled him to sit down and told him to shut up.

Before anything else could be said, everyone noticed that the bus had exited and the driver was parking the bus. Tee got up and took the microphone.

“Okay, okay! Enough everyone! We are going to be stopping here at the rest stop for 30 minutes. There are some shops, a convenience store, and restrooms for you to use. Please be back here in 30 minutes!”, Tee announced.

Everyone started grabbing their trash and getting off the bus. Ram’s friends looked at him and gestured for him to follow. Ram nodded at them that he was coming. King was looking through his bag for something and blocked Ram’s way.

As he was getting out of his seat, Mek asked, “King, are you coming?”

“Yeah, I’m just going to grab something out of my bag and meet you guys over at the convenience store”, King replied. Mek said, “Okay,” and walked off the bus with Boss.

When all their friends were out of sight, King turned to Ram.

“You didn’t have to say anything or prove anything to them,” King said.

“I know, but I didn’t like them making fun of you,” Ram replied as he moved some of King’s bangs off his forehead.

King sighed. The more and more they interacted, the more difficult it was for them to act like nothing was going on between them.

King stood up and then Ram did the same.

“Let’s stick to the plan. You hang with your friends and I’ll hang with mine. I’ll see you later,” King said as he started walking down the aisle. He felt Ram grab his arm and spin him around. Before he could do anything, he felt a set of lips on his and he almost melted into it until he realized that they were still on the bus.

King pulled away from Ram.

“What are you doing? Someone could have seen us!”, King said while looking out the windows of the bus.

“Everyone left. It’s just us,” Ram pointed out.

King looked around. They were the only ones on the bus and everyone was gone. King turned and looked at Ram seriously.

“Are you okay? You looked down earlier. Were you thinking about your dad?”, King asked.

Ram nodded.

King put his arms around Ram’s waist and hugged him and Ram savored the feeling of being held. King pulled them apart and looked into Ram’s face.

“I’m still here for you okay,” King reminded Ram. Ram nodded appreciatively.

King turned around again to walk out but was again grabbed by Ram and spun around. Ram brought his hands up to King’s face and leaned forward so their foreheads were touching. Ram looked into King’s eyes affectionately, smiled, and rubbed his nose against King’s. King sighed, but then rubbed Ram’s nose back. He then pulled himself away from Ram.

“Okay, that’s enough! No more funny business!” King said as he walked off the bus.

Ram sighed and thought, “It’s going to be a long day” as he walked off the bus to join his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The English translation of Love Without Rules was from the music video. 
> 
> I'm sorry if you are tired of forehead touches and Eskimo kisses, but that has been their thing since I first started this fic, so deal with it! J/K!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	14. That's What Friends Are For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ram and King arrive at the rest stop and hang out with their friends before they start the next leg of the trip. King and Ram realize a few things about their friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this is so delayed! 
> 
> This is a bit of a filler chapter!

King took a deep breath. King anticipated that he was going to have to answer some questions so he mentally prepared himself for the onslaught.

He walked around until he found his friends in the convenience store. Mek and Boss were in the snack aisle and Tee was near the fridge. Bohn was on another aisle looking at the seaweed snacks. King went up to his best friend.

“Oy, what are you looking for?”, King asked.

“Oh, King, you’re here! What took you so long?”, Bohn asked. 

“I was trying to find something in my bag. Sorry,” King responded. 

“I was also kissing my boyfriend, “ King thought to himself. King could not get enough of those kisses. King was starting to realize it was going to be a long three days.

Bohn nodded and continued.

“Duen likes this Spicy Tempura Seaweed, so I’m looking for it.” 

Bohn continued to browse through the seaweed until he found what he was looking for and picked it up. He looked up at King as they started going through the cookie aisle. 

“How’d you do it?” Bohn asked curiously.

“Do what?”, King asked while he took some pineapple cookies off the shelf. King was trying to find a snack for Ram and then suddenly remembered that he liked dehydrated mango, so he went down another aisle with Bohn following behind him.

“How were you and Nong Ram able to get so many points during Head’s Up? He didn’t say anything and you knew what he meant,” Bohn said.

King had made “Ram watching” a regular activity for the last few months. From watching from afar or observing him during their interactions, King felt he understood Ram just by looking at him, but he wasn’t going to tell Bohn that.

“The answers were so easy. Anyone could have been able to act them out, “ King explained instead, as he found the dehydrated mango and put it in his basket.

“The other reason is that I’m smart,” King added matter-of-factly as he walked towards the chips aisle to grab some chips. He got two bags and put them in his basket. King then started walking towards the fridge. 

Bohn rolled his eyes and followed King. 

“What about the whole Spiderman thing? Did you really work out with Nong Ram?”, Bohn asked. King was starting to get irritated by this line of questioning. He grabbed a Thai Tea and an Iced Coffee from the fridge and headed to the cashier.

“Yeah, of course, I did. How would I know what a Spiderman Plank was anyway?”, King answered as the cashier rung him up. The cashier put the snacks and drinks in a plastic bag and handed it to King. King thought about the Spiderman Plank Kiss while he waited for Bohn to pay for his stuff and smiled to himself. King admitted to himself that he will forever associate Spiderman with a plank and a kiss. Bohn and King walked out of the convenience store to the picnic area on the side of the rest area to wait for the rest of their friends.

They both sat down on one of the picnic tables. King took out his Thai Tea and took a drink from it. Bohn gave him a serious look.

“What?”, King asked. Bohn’s stare was making him feel tense. Bohn was not playing around right now.

“What happened on Saturday? How’d you find Nong Ram?”, Bohn inquired. Bohn wasn’t surprised about King being willing to help search for Ram. Bohn has been watching King’s interactions with Ram for some time now, especially since Ram was Duen’s best friend.

King decided to be honest. 

“I systematically went in every direction for about 6-10 miles to see if I could find him walking on the street. I also stopped at every park that I passed along the way to see if I could find him. I finally found him at that park near the university that has a big pond in the middle of it.”

“Then, what?”, Bohn asked. 

“What do you mean, then what?”, King responded back. King wasn't sure what Bohn wanted to know.

“King, you didn’t even call me to tell me you found Ram. Duen found out from Nong Ruj that you had found Nong Ram and that you were even sleeping over at their house”, Bohn said.

“I forgot okay. A lot was going on, “King answered defensively. King remembered all the worry he had that day and the relief he felt when he finally found Ram. He remembered being with Ram when he confirmed his dad’s affair with Pin and then taking care of Ram that night. Then, he thought about their work out, the park, and getting stitches the next day.

“Is Nong Ram okay?”, Bohn asked. Bohn wasn’t stupid. Bohn and Duen had discussed what may have been going on with Ram. Duen had expressed his worries because his best friend never did anything impulsive. Bohn figured something may have triggered Ram to leave home. 

“He is okay. He is just dealing with a lot of stuff right now,” King shared. King looked at his bag of snacks. He was worried about Ram. He knew Ram was okay, for the most part, but Ram did have moments where he would drift off and think about his dad and Pin. King wanted to be there for Ram in those moments. He didn’t want Ram to deal with things alone. Bohn noticed the change in King’s demeanor.

“You care about him a lot, don’t you?”, Bohn asked curiously. Bohn had noticed that King went out of his way for Ram, unlike other juniors that King has helped in the past. 

“I do, ”King answered spontaneously. “He is our junior,” King added to cover himself. King took another sip of his drink and looked at the trees. Bohn looked at King thoughtfully.

“You do know that if something more was going on between you and Nong Ram, that all of us, Mek, Boss, Tee, and I, would be okay with it, right? We would be happy for you. We would support not only you but both of you”, Bohn informed King sincerely.

King looked at Bohn. He was touched by what his best friend said. King and Ram wanted to use the trip as an opportunity to spend quality time with their friends. They had anticipated that they would probably start spending more time with each other and less with their friends once they were more open about their relationship. King and Ram noticed that both Bohn and Duen hung out with friends a lot less than they used to. 

King and Ram were still getting used to being a couple. They haven’t even really been on a proper date yet. They’ve only hung out at Ram’s parents’ home, his condo, and at the park. They have eaten meals together, which could be considered “dates” but they were not labeled as such and King and Ram were not aware of how the other one felt at the time, so they don’t really count. 

“I....,” King was at a loss of what to say. He wasn't expecting this line of questioning from Bohn.

“You like him though?”, Bohn asked. King shrugged and then shook his head trying to deny it. King was trying to act cool and indifferent.

“You do know that you aren’t fooling us, right?”, Tee commented as he, Mek, and Boss walked up to the table. 

“We’re your friends. You’ve never been interested in anyone until Nong Ram came along, “Mek pointed out.

“You follow him around like a lost puppy and you look at him like he’s eye candy”, Boss shared.

“No, I don’t!!!”, King denied it, although, deep inside, he knew a lot of what they were saying was true. King couldn’t believe they noticed his behavior around Ram. King realized he wasn't being subtle about giving Ram extra notes, spending time with him outside of classes, or watching him when he was around.

Bohn, Mek, Boss, and Tee stood in front of King with their arms crossed, scrutinizing King.

King looked at his friends and was starting to waver between being honest and outright lying.

“Okay, okay. I do like him,” King admitted. King had to pick his battles. If he gave them some type of answer, they’d give him a break because he fessed up.

“See, was that so hard?”, Bohn said. King exhaled the breath he was holding as his friends just accepted it and moved on. They continued to eat their snacks as Tee brought up the plan for the second leg of the trip and the arrival at camp.

**********************

Ram found his friends by a vendor selling drinks. Ting Ting, Tang, and Phu had their drinks, while Duen was waiting for his.

“Oh, Ram! You’re here! Do you want to get a drink?”, Duen asked. Ram nodded. He looked at the menu items and ordered a drink and waited with Duen while his other three friends went to check out some of the other vendors. 

“Are you okay? Your brother was really worried about you on Saturday. What happened?”, Duen asked concerned. 

“I had some stuff on my mind and I lost track of time. That’s all,” Ram told Duen. He has already burdened King with his family situation. He didn’t want to burden anyone else with it. 

“Nong Ruj told me that P’King found you at the park and that he slept over,” Duen mentioned as he grabbed his drink from the vendor. Ram immediately turned his head and looked at Duen. Ram couldn’t believe his brother told Duen that King had slept over. 

“It was late and my mom didn’t want P’King to go home in the dark in the rain,” Ram said truthfully. He didn’t have to share that he had wanted King to stay with him after the day he had. 

“You and P’King seem close,” Duen reflected as Ram picked up his drink and started walking towards Ting Ting, Tang, and Phu. Ram wondered what Duen meant by “close.”

“He was really worried when we told him you were missing. He really cares for you, “Duen stated as they caught up with the rest of their friends in front of a vendor selling key chains.

“He’s a good senior,” Ram responded honestly. He wasn't sure where this line of questioning was heading. 

“We just notice that you have been spending a lot of time with P’King, “Ting Ting said.

“He’s a good guy. He’s always willing to help out his juniors. He seems to give you extra attention though. He gives you extra notes and tutoring sessions,” Phu mentioned.

“He also seems to understand you really well. You and he scored the highest points during head’s up and you didn’t have to say a word, except Spiderman. It was amazing that he was able to get plank from Spiderman!,” Tang commented.

“Okay,” Ram said as he started browsing through some of the key chains. Ram thought that they would be more amazed at the real reason why King was able to guess Spiderman. He started imagining him and King kissing and had to shake his head to snap his head out of it. When none of his friends said anything else, he looked up to find them all looking at him. He raised his eyebrows.

“We think that maybe P’King is into you,” Duen pointed out to Ram. Ram froze.

“We weren’t entirely sure if you were getting the signals,” Tang revealed.

“Oh, I was getting the signals,” Ram thought to himself. He shrugged at his friends nonchalantly and went back to looking at the keychains.

“We just wanted to share our observations to help you figure things out for yourself, “Phu said. Ram had already figured things out. He wanted to be in a relationship with King. 

“We’re not sure if you are interested in him or not, but we don’t think it would be a bad thing if you liked him back,” Tang shared.

Ram nodded. Ram was close to his friends but he has never been interested in anyone since he has known them. Plenty of people have been interested in him though. His friends have seen him ignore his admirers and have helped with keeping them away from him. Ram was glad that his friends were supportive of him being in a relationship with King.

“If you ever decide to go out with him, we won’t stop you, but he will have to pass our tests first,” Ting Ting informed Ram.

Ram rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. There it was. That was what he was afraid of. Despite liking King, thinking he is a good senior, and being an all-around great guy, they still wanted to put King through their stupid tests. Ram was so irritated.

“It would only be fair considering what you made Bohn go through, “Duen pointed out. 

This was exactly why King and Ram did not want to tell their friends about their relationship. The only thing Ram could count on is that they thought that King was the only one who had feelings. Ram would really have to work on not making googly eyes at King or else his friends would totally figure them out.

Ram shook his head and made a face at his friends and the discussion ended at that.

*******************  
The friends continued to walk around with the little time they had left before they had to leave. Ting Ting and Tang walked off to take some pictures. Phu was looking at shirts. Duen and Ram were walking and chatting as they followed the rest of their friends. 

Ram noticed a bunch of small glass domes on a table. He decided to take a closer look. He discovered that they were little terrariums with a plant inside that hung on a keychain. Ram brought one close to his face to look at it and smiled. Ram thought it would be perfect for King.

“What is that?”, Duen asked. Ram showed it to Duen. Duen smiled.

“That is so cool! Are you going to buy it?”, Duen asked. Ram nodded. 

Ram brought it to the cashier who gave him care instructions. Ram planned to give it to King later when they were alone.

Duen and Ram caught up with the rest of their friends. They continued to drink, walk, and talk while they checked out the different vendors. Ram realized that he missed hanging out with his friends. Ram vowed to himself to try to find a balance between school, family, King, and his friends from now on.

***********************

It was almost time to leave, so Ram told his friends that he would meet them back at the bus and headed to the restroom.

***********************

Tee finished up talking about the plans for the second leg of the trip and the activities planned upon arrival to camp. Tee needed to head back to the bus a few minutes early to make sure everyone was accounted for. Mek and Boss followed him. Bohn got a message from Duen saying he was heading back to the bus, so he also started walking in that direction. King was putting away his snacks and threw away his drink.

“Bohn, I’m going to use the restroom real quick. I’ll meet you there,” King said. 

***********************

Ram finished up at the urinal and was washing his hands when King walked into the restroom. Ram watched King go up to a urinal do his business and then walk to the sink as Ram dried his hands.

“Cool Boy! Did you have fun with your friends?”, King asked as he finished washing his hands. 

Ram nodded and smiled at King.

Ram looked around and nobody was in the restroom. He grabbed King’s arm and pulled him into one of the stalls.

“Cool Boy! What are you doing? We are going to get caught!”, King whispered anxiously.

Ram pulled King to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. 

“My friend’s suspect that you like me,” Ram informed King.

“What! My friend’s suspected the same thing”, King couldn’t believe that he was so obvious about his interest in Ram. 

“What did you say?”, Ram asked.

King looked at Ram sheepishly.

“I kind of admitted that I do like you,” King confessed. “They were going to keep nagging me until they got something out of me so I had to say something.” King felt bad.

Ram rubbed King’s back. 

“It’s okay. They may suspect that we are interested in each other but they haven’t figured out that we are actually together. 

"Let's stick to the plan to hang out with our friends and act like junior and senior, okay?”, King suggested.

“Okay,” Ram said. “I’m still going to miss you though.”

“Me, too,” King said.

Ram leaned his forehead to King’s, closed his eyes briefly before trailing soft kisses from King’s nose to his cheeks, and to his chin before eventually sealing King's lips with his own. He moved his lips along King’s, eventually sucking King’s lower lip between his. He then darted his tongue in King’s mouth. King sucked on Ram’s tongue gently making Ram murmur, “Mmm…”, sending a vibration against King’s lips and causing King to quiver in pleasure. Ram held King tighter, running his hand up and down King’s sides and down to his pockets. They shifted their heads so they can get better access to each other’s mouths. King pulled their faces apart and hugged Ram. He then looked into Ram’s face. They both leaned in and rubbed their noses before locking their lips together one last time.

“We got to go,” King said sadly. Ram nodded. He pecked King on the cheek before checking if the coast was clear and walked out of the restroom. 

King waited a few seconds before realizing that something was in his pocket. He emptied it out and discovered that Ram had put a keychain there while they were kissing. King looked at the keychain closely and realized that it was a plant inside a mini terrarium. King felt his heart was going to burst. Ram made him feel so happy. King left the restroom and headed to the bus with a pep in his step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had initially planned for the scenes on the bus and the rest stop to be completed in two chapters. I had to break up the last chapter, which was fine, but then I got frustrated with this chapter and that is why it took so long. I needed this chapter to help transition to the next part of the story, but I don't know if it did anything. UGH. 
> 
> Sorry, everybody!
> 
> The good thing is that means the next chapter will be out sooner than later because it is already written and just needs to be edited. 
> 
> Please be patient with me! *SIGH*


	15. The Secret in Our Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is back on the bus getting ready to start the second leg of their trip to the campgrounds. Some unexpected things happen on the bus and King and Ram continue to try to work through keeping their relationship a secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Links were included in the text in case you wanted to hear the music while you are reading.
> 
> Happy Reading!

After their break at the rest stop to stretch their legs, use the restroom, or buy snacks and drinks, Tee asked all the volunteers to start getting onto the bus so they can start traveling towards the campsite.

Once inside, Tee made an announcement.

“Since you all happily volunteered for our Engineering Project, a few of the seniors have some entertainment planned before we start the second leg of our trip,” Tee announced. Ram was surprised and looked at his friends who were also surprised at the announcement. He wondered what they were going to do.

Tee then called for a person named Dao to come forward. Ram looked up from his phone to watch a pretty girl with long brown hair walk up to the front of the bus. She was smiling and waving at everyone, her eyes bright and framed by long eyelashes. When she got to the front, Tee gave her the microphone. The TV that had sat idle during the first leg of the trip suddenly turned on. King turned to Ram. 

“Cool Boy, listen to her, she is a really good singer,” King said. Ram waited, like everyone on the bus, to see what was going to happen. Suddenly, words formed on the TV screen.

**Don’t Start Now**

**by**

**Dua Lupa**

[Don't Start Now by Dua Lipa](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CLkVWB_Lj8)

A cool beat started playing on the speakers of the bus. Dao looked up at the screen as the lyrics were displayed, changing colors to guide her as she sang. People on the bus screamed and started standing up in their seats. Since it was a popular song, some of the people on the bus started doing the Tik Tok dance during her performance. Ram saw Boss try to do it and Mek pulled him down to stop him, embarrassed at his antics. Ram also noticed Ting Ting doing it perfectly before Tang pulled her to sit down. Once Dao ended the song, everyone screamed and applauded. She handed the microphone back to Tee.

“Thank you, Dao! Now, we are going to slow things down and have our head hazer sing everyone a song! Bohn, please come up here!", Tee announced. 

Ram noticed King and his friends were cheering for Bohn. All the juniors then looked at Duen, who looked just as surprised as they were to see Bohn go up to sing. Everyone watched as the words on the TV screen changed.

**How Deep Is Your Love**

**by**

**The Bee Gees**

The music started, Bohn swayed a little, and then Bohn’s voice echoed through the bus.

[Cooper (Bohn)'s cover of How Deep is your Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgCt-JhTP4A)

King and Ram noticed some girls watching enraptured by Bohn’s good looks and melodic voice, looked at each other, and rolled their eyes. Others were singing along with Bohn. Ram looked at Duen, who looked lovingly at Bohn. Bohn only had eyes for Duen and looked like he was serenading him as if he didn’t have a bus full of university students watching him. When Bohn finished the song, Bohn got tons of screams and applause as he gave Tee the microphone and went back to his seat. Duen smiled brightly and praised him for singing so well. Bohn smirked and they started talking animatedly as Tee started introducing the next singer.

“This last performance will include two of the most well-liked and most popular Engineering seniors. Nott and King! Come up here!" 

Ram sat up and watched as King stood up in the aisle as the other senior, Nott, walked down the aisle. Nott put his hand on King’s shoulder and Ram watched as Nott made a comment that made King laugh as they walked up to the front of the bus, smiling at each other. Ram frowned. 

Ram knew of Nott. He never met him personally but heard a lot about him. He was one of the popular Engineering Seniors. He was not only very handsome, with his babyface and cute haircut, but he was popular for his inventions. He wasn’t as smart as King, but he made up for it by his innovativeness. Ram also heard that he was a nice guy. Ram noticed that he was currently being extra nice to his boyfriend. Nott was moving King’s bangs off his forehead and seemed to be asking about King’s stitches. Ram took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

King was nervous and excited. King loves karaoke. He hadn’t sung in a while, let alone in front of a busload of people, but he was hoping that Nott would balance out the performance for him. They had practiced a few times and both were pretty confident that they would be entertaining to the juniors. Nott had moved King bangs off his forehead and King immediately tried to protect the area where his stitches were. Nott was always irritating him. King turned around and noticed that Ram was watching Nott’s interaction with him.

Ram watched as Tee gave King and Nott microphones. The words on the TV screen changed again:

**Tan-Lak**

**by**

**Talay and Yoon**

Ram knew this song and was not amused at all. He knew the words and watched in dread as his boyfriend was about to sing the song with another guy. An upbeat tune started as King and Nott danced adorably together in front of everyone. 

[Tan-Lak by Talay (King) and Yoon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-ovrxvrWAU)

(imagine King and Nott singing and dancing like the video on the bus in front of everyone)

Nott glanced at King as he sang and made a cute face at him while bringing his hand to his heart:

_ **Because you are really so cute, it makes my heart melt** _

_ **Whenever you smile, it makes my heart almost fade.** _

King looked at everyone on the bus and danced dramatically as he started singing.

_ **Because of your cuteness, I can’t control myself (my heart)** _

_ **I can’t hide it anymore because of your cuteness.** _

_ **This night I will…** _

King was having fun. He pointed and made eye contact with people as he sang the lyrics. Ram heard some girls sigh. King noticed Ram roll his eyes and looked at Ram briefly and winked at him, before looking back at his audience. Ram was taken aback and couldn’t believe that he felt like he was swooning over King like he was a fangirl. King continued to sing, looking at different people like he was saying the lines to them.

_ **Don’t want you to go anywhere** _

_ **Afraid that those who see you would ask for your Line.** _

_ **Those people are scary.** _

_ **Unlike me, because I can be trusted.** _

During the instrumental interlude, Ram watched King and Nott do an unnecessarily silly dance with each other. King was enjoying himself with Nott. He hasn’t had much time to have fun and laugh in a while.

Ram noticed that King was having a lot of fun and suddenly felt sad. Ram wasn’t outgoing, lively, or high spirited. Ram was usually pretty confident and didn’t care about what others thought. With King, it was different. He did things with and for King he wouldn’t do for or with anyone else. Ram started to question if King deserved someone who could make him smile as much as he was doing right now with Nott. 

Ram watched Nott look at King sweetly and sing:

_ **Stay with me, I’ll only take you to the temple** _

_ **Take you to heaven** _

_ **You see, I’m really a good man.** _

_ **Then, I’ll make you happy.** _

King then sang and looked at Nott:

_ **But now…** _

Nott looked back at King and sang:

_ **The weather is fine.** _

Then, King and Nott sang together:

** Until I can’t control my emotions. **

Nott started the chorus again. Ram looked out the window. He was acting like he was looking at the scenery but he wasn’t feeling great.

He looked up briefly to see King and Nott dance and flirt as they sang, before looking out the window again. 

_ **Because of your cuteness, I can’t control myself (my heart)** _

_ **I can’t hide it anymore because of your cuteness.** _

_ **This night I will tell you** _

At the end of the song, Ram looked up and saw Nott and King standing close to each other as King then whispered:

_ **That I love you.** _

At that moment, Ram watched as Nott moved into King’s space and kissed King’s face with his nose. King looked surprised and playfully pushed Nott. 

Without anyone noticing, King glared at Nott before they bowed and soaked up the applause. Ram noticed Nott put his arm loosely around King’s shoulder as they walked down the aisle back to their seats. The bus went wild and cheered the pair. Ram couldn’t look at them anymore and decided to look out the window again. Ram was crushed. He then heard a girl say something to her friend about King and Nott.

“I ship them together. I wonder if they are dating.” She and her friend started giggling and talking about how hot they looked together.

Ram continued to look out the window. He knew he shouldn’t be jealous but Nott kissed King in front of everyone when he and King were in a relationship, a secret one. Nobody knew that they were together. Ram didn’t like what Nott did, even if it was to entertain the juniors. Ram wanted to claim what was his, but now he wasn’t so sure if he had a right to King anymore.

As King got close to his seat, he noticed Ram’s dejected look and threw Nott’s arm off his shoulder. 

Nott and King were friends. King had no idea Nott was going to kiss his cheek. King was so busy with Ram over the weekend, he hadn’t remembered that he was supposed to sing until Tee reminded him at the rest stop. Nott and King had talked about hamming up the performance to entertain the juniors, which he thought they did successfully, but they had not talked about Nott being so touchy-feely or laying that nose kiss on his cheek at the end. King was pissed about that. 

Ram turned his head and noticed that King and Nott were getting close to King’s seat when Nott stopped King. 

“Hey, it was great singing with you, King! Let’s try to hang out later, okay?’, Nott said as he winked at King and patted his shoulder. He then walked to his seat near the back of the bus. 

King turned around and noticed that Ram had seen and heard the interaction with Nott and knew that Ram was bothered by it. Ram looked like a kicked puppy right now and it was making King’s heart hurt. 

********************

“Okay, everyone! I hope you enjoyed your seniors’ performances! Get settled and relax. We are going to start the second leg of our trip!”, Tee announced and then sat back down next to Phu. The bus driver started the engine and the bus started moving again. King turned to Ram. 

“Cool Boy, what did you think of my singing? As good as in the car?”, King asked trying to cheer Ram up. Ram looked at King, shrugged, then looked out the window.

With a heavy sigh, King knew he messed up. He hadn’t prepared Ram for the performance and now King knows that Ram is upset and having negative thoughts in his head. King attempted to put one of his earphones in Ram’s ear like earlier, but Ram took it out and gave it back to King.

“Oh shit,” King said to himself. King had to fix this. King wished he could talk openly on the bus. King wanted to touch Ram and to reassure him, but people would notice.

Ram wanted to get off the bus. He didn’t want to be there anymore. He needed to get away from everyone. He wanted to go somewhere by himself and clear his head. 

**************

Ram heard a notification on his phone.

** MY KING: ** Cool Boy, are you okay?

** RAM: ** ….

** MY KING: ** Are you mad at me?

** RAM: ** No

Ram wasn’t mad, but his heart hurt.

** MY KING: ** I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the performance with Nott. 

I completely forgot about it over the weekend when I was

with you.

** RAM: ** Oh

King looked at Ram and knew Ram was hurt.

** MY KING: ** Nott is just a friend.

** RAM: ** Ok

** MY KING: ** You don’t believe me.

** RAM: ** I do.

Ram let out a deep sigh. He wished they could talk about things. He would do anything to sit down and cuddle with King and talk about what’s bothering him.

** My KING: ** I’m serious. You have nothing to worry about. He does not like me. 

Ram didn’t think that was true based on what he saw. Nott was flirting with King during the whole performance.

** RAM: ** If you say so.

King wanted to prove to Ram that he and Nott were just friends and that their relationship was purely platonic. King looked behind him and looked for Nott at the back of the bus. Ram saw that and looked out the window again. 

Ram got another notification.

** MY KING: ** Look at the back of the bus and search for Nott.

Ram continued to watch the scenery pass by his window. 

Ram got another notification.

** MY KING: ** Cool Boy! Please look behind me at Nott.

** RAM: ** ?

Ram didn’t want to look at Nott.

** MY KING: ** Just do it, Cool Boy! Please!

Ram looked up from his phone and looked for Nott. He was sitting next to a guy who kind of looked like King. He had longer hair than King and was wearing a long-sleeved striped collar shirt that King would never wear. Nott had his arm around the guy’s shoulders and they were feeding each other snacks, looking lovey-dovey. Nott seemed to only have eyes for the other guy. Ram watched as Nott kissed the other guy and started running his hand through the other guy’s hair. Ram turned back around and looked at King questioningly.

King leaned closer to Ram to whisper to him. 

“Nott and I have been friends for a long time. I knew Nott in high school but when we got to university, we didn’t hang out in the same crowd. That’s why you probably have never seen us interact. I ended up hanging out with all the hazers and he hung out with the inventors. When Tee asked for volunteers to sing, Nott asked if I would do a duet with him for old times’ sake since we used to go to Karaoke Bars when we were younger when we got bored. He picked the song because it was upbeat and fun. He probably asked me to hang out since we don’t interact that much. He spends most of his time with his boyfriend, Pun, whom he is madly in love with, as you can see”, King continued to explain.

King and Ram both looked behind them to observe Nott and Pun. Nott was smiling at Pun about something and then gave him a peck on his lips before Pun fed him some chips and squeezed his nose.

Ram looked back and forth between Pun and King and had a confused look on his face. King took a breath in and let it out. He leaned his head back on the seat.

“Yeah, Pun and I look a lot alike. It’s uncanny! You can tell us apart though. Pun is more thoughtful and kinder than I am,” King reported. Ram looked at him doubtfully. King shook his head and continued.

“He is sickeningly sweet to Nott. I want to gag every time I’m around them because of how mushy they can get. Pun and I also dress differently and act differently.”

King thought about it and then said, “But there was that one time that we were wearing the same color shirts and Nott got us confused and he almost kissed…”

Ram cleared his throat. King stopped, realizing that sharing that story was not going to make things better. King leaned closer to Ram to whisper to him. 

“See? There is nothing to worry about,” King said and smiled at Ram. Ram’s face was stoic and then turned his head to look out the window. 

King saw Ram’s hand on the chair between them. He looked around and everyone was occupied in conversations, their phones, or doing other things. He looked through his bag and found the dehydrated mango. He grabbed Ram’s hand.

As soon as their hands touched, Ram turned his head to look at King. King gave him a cute smile and squeezed his hand, before putting the dehydrated mango in it with his other hand. When he didn’t get a response, he rubbed his thumb across Ram’s hand.

Ram was feeling less upset about the situation with King’s touch. He grabbed the dehydrated mango and looked at it. He smiled, opened the pack, and put one in his mouth. Ram smiled at King. Ram looked around discreetly to see if anyone was watching, grabbed a piece of mango, and put in King’s mouth. King’s eyes widened in surprise. He looked around quickly but no one seemed to be paying attention. King thought Thara and Frong might have seen them since they were right across the aisle, but Thara was showing Frong his lizard and talking animatedly about Cupcake’s eating and exercise routine. King turned back around and Ram's eyes were twinkling at King. What King would do to share Eskimo kisses that they both love! King got an idea.

King grabbed his iced coffee and took the straw out of its wrapper. He put the straw into his drink, caught Ram’s eye, while he sipped from it. 

“You want some?”, as he gave a sultry look to Ram. Ram nodded his head slowly while looking into King’s eyes.

As King brought the drink closer to Ram, Ram grabbed King’s hand holding the drink and brought the straw up to his lips. He sucked slowly out of the straw, swallowed, and brought the drink back down. 

King took the drink back to his lips and took a sip himself. He then licked his lips as Ram watched.

He learned forward to Ram and whispered, “Indirect Kiss.” He then leaned back in his chair, proud of himself. 

Ram took out his phone and typed something, then put it away.

King got a notification seconds later. 

**MY RAM:** 😘

Ram had sent King a Kiss Emoji.

**KING** :😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

King smiled brightly and sent Ram a row of Kiss Emojis.

Ram smiled as he continued to eat and share his dehydrated mango with King.

***********************

Although bummed about not being able to touch and talk openly, Ram and King were content with sitting next to each other. King offered Ram his earbud again and this time Ram  took it. King looked through his phone and found the perfect song and played it. 

[Kwahm Lup Nai Jai/The Secret in our Hearts by Gun Achi and Amp](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTx_wmoDcxA)

King and Ram immersed themselves in the song as they looked toward the front of the bus, sitting side by side. 

_ **Even though we can’t say that we both love each other** _

_ **We know full well it will disappoint someone** _

_ **If they knew, no matter how many feelings there are** _

_ **Only we know, we must keep it in and not tell anyone.** _

_ **Because everything is good already** _

_ **I only want us to understand** _

_ **Just making eye contact communicates to our hearts** _

_ **Just listening to the same love song warms my heart** _

_ **What more is needed?** _

King and Ram looked into each other’s eyes and realized that they were both conveying trust, tenderness, and love to the other. King and Ram then both looked towards the front of the bus and reflected on their relationship as they continued to listen to the song.

_ **Just us knowing each other in our hearts,** _

_ **Just the two of us is just enough** _

_ **It’s more than love, it’s beyond words** _

_ **There is no need to walk around holding hands,** _

_ **Just being near each other is good enough** _

_ **It’s a love that doesn’t need any words to define it.** _

King and Ram both felt like there wasn’t a need to tell the world about their relationship right now because being together was enough for them. King and Ram have not spoken about love but they both knew that they had fallen hard for the other and that their hearts were intertwining, bringing them together and uniting them as one. They didn’t have to say anything about loving each other because they both already knew.

_ **Even though we have to stop ourselves and not show that we’re in love** _

_ **And make it a relationship that only we know about** _

_ **Just the breaths we take together makes it so wonderful to be alive** _

_ **I don’t need anything else,** _

_ **I’m not crying out for anything.** _

As they listened to the chorus repeat, the loving melody and gentle rocking of the bus started to make Ram and King sleepy. They were both tired from staying up talking and waking up abruptly because they were late. Ram decided to cave into sleep and used his jacket as a pillow against the window. King tried to fight it, as his head kept nodding forward and to the side. Eventually, King couldn’t keep his eyes open and his body automatically started leaning sideways landing on Ram’s shoulder. King sighed contently and succumbed to sleep.

***************

When the bus finally stopped at the volunteer camp, Tee announced to everyone on the bus to pick up all their belongings and trash before getting off. 

King and Ram’s friends got off the bus and grabbed their stuff, excited about being able to explore the area. 

Tee was at the entrance of the bus checking people off as they got off. He looked at his list and noticed that he had two people unaccounted for. 

“Figures,” Tee says under his breath as he climbs back on the bus.

Tee walked down the aisle and found the two people unaccounted for on his list. 

Ram had his jacket folded up and was using it as a pillow on the window while he slept. King was sleeping comfortably on Ram’s shoulder. 

Tee shakes his head and rolls his eyes. 

“These two…,” Tee says to himself.

Tee clears his throat. King and Ram don’t move. King shifts his body closer to Ram’s and moves his right hand onto Ram’s arm.

“King! Cool Boy! Wake up!”, Tee raises his voice to wake them up.

Ram and King slowly wake up. Ram wakes up first, notices that King is leaning on his shoulder, and looks down at King’s head. King wakes up and groggily looks at Ram and smiles. Ram smiles back adoringly.

Tee clears his throat again. King jumps apart from Ram not realizing that Tee was standing there watching them.

“Sorry Cool Boy! I didn’t realize I fell asleep!”, King apologized, put his stuff in his bag, and walked off the bus. Ram did the same, nodded to Tee, and walked off the bus with an amused Tee following the two out to the volunteer campgrounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit is given to Dua Lipa, Cooper (Bohn), Talay (King) and Yoon, and Gun Achi and Amp for their wonderful singing. The English translation for Tan Lak = Cute (from YYY OST sung by Talay and Yoon), was a combination of a few translations on youtube to make it sound cuter. If it's completely translated wrong, I'm sorry. The English translation for Kwahm Lup Nai Jai, otherwise known as The Secret in our Hearts (from Sotus: The Series sung by Gun Achi and Amp), was from the youtube video. Sotus is my fav BL and the song fit so well, I had to use it!
> 
> In case you didn't know, Talay (King) plays Pun in YYY. Nott and Pun are a couple in that BL series.
> 
> The singing, dancing, and interactions were all things I had imagined in my brain. I hope it was represented here with the videos/songs included.
> 
> Hope you liked this chapter!


	16. Hope Is A Walk Through A Flowering Meadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram arrive at camp with their friends. They get settled and start exploring before dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, everybody! I had a rough and emotional week, so I had difficulty finding the time to write. I'm hoping that things will get better on my end so that I can still do at least 2 updates a week. 
> 
> I hope this chapter makes up for the lack of updates this past week. If not, I'm sorry!
> 
> Please enjoy!

King and Ram caught up with their friends and followed the rest of the volunteers to the campgrounds. They were encouraged to get some rest, look at the views, or swim at the waterfall.

Ram tried to keep his distance from King, but all of his friends were paired up along the path to the camping area. He also didn’t want to leave King by himself with him still recovering from his head injury, so he stayed a step behind him to make sure he was okay. As they continued walking, King was looking at the plants and trees and almost slipped. Luckily, Ram caught King by his bicep to prevent him from falling. Ram looked at King with concern as King looked back at Ram, surprised by Ram’s warm hand around his arm. King pulled his arm out of Ram’s grasp.

“I am fine. It’s just a slip”, King said as he continued to move towards the tents with Ram following behind him.

*****************************

The campground was located down a dirt path past the parking area. The path led them through a patch of forest and a stream. They were eventually led to a designated area set aside for camping. In the center of the area were tents already set up for the volunteer group. There was an area of tables set up on one side to pick up supplies or gear, extra tents, sleeping bags, tools, etc. Close to the tents was a building designated as the first aid station as well as restrooms and showers. They also had an area set up with tables to eat at and an area to cook meals.

Several tents were already set up for their group. No tents were assigned to anyone. Because all the volunteers were adults, they were allowed to sleep anywhere or with whoever they wanted. The Hazers picked a few tents on one side of the camp and started putting their bags away so they could go explore. Ram’s friends decided to pick a few tents near the same area because it was conveniently located near the restrooms and the showers. Ting Ting had to go find a female to bunk with since she did not want to sleep with any of the guys.

Ram and his friends dumped all their stuff in two of the tents and would figure out who was sleeping with who later. Ram figured that Duen would be sleeping with Bohn in his tent. He wished he could sleep with King, but he knew that it would be better for him to sleep with Tang or Phu as planned.

Ram followed his friends to head out exploring. He looked around and was happy he went on this trip. It had been such an emotionally filled weekend that being out in nature, getting fresh air, and enjoying being with his friends was probably something that was very much needed. As he walked, he noticed King laughing with his friends, seemingly enjoying himself.

********************

King put his stuff in Tee’s tent. It was a given that Duen would be in Bohn’s tent and Mek and Boss would be in another. He missed Ram, but they would have plenty of opportunities to be with each other later. King looked to the surrounding area. He was so excited to be out in nature surrounded by trees and plants. Although he studied with his friends for their exams, it was nice to do something with them that wasn’t so academic. King was appreciative of getting some free time to explore all the plants and be able to tease, joke around, and have fun with his friends. When everyone had put their stuff away in the tents, King and his friends started walking towards the forest, cracking jokes and laughing hysterically with each other.

*********************

As the two groups got close to the forest, both Ram and King noticed that their friend groups were walking together. King and Ram made eye contact and Ram gave King a small smile before reverting to his stoic expression. King's heart skipped a beat as he put his hand through his hair and nodded a "whassup" to Ram before turning back to his friends. If King looked at Ram any longer, he would probably get lost in his eyes and not be able to do anything else. King felt like he needed to keep himself in check or the cat will be let out of the bag before they know it.

Ram got the hint from King and followed his friends. Tang spoke up and shared, “I heard that if we go down this path, there is a meadow with flowers in bloom at the edge of the forest.”

“Let’s go there! I could post some pretty pictures on Instagram!”, Ting Ting suggested. Phu and Ram agreed.

King overheard Tang and Ting Ting and his ears perked up. King was torn between his friends and wanting to see the meadow. King and his friends had decided to head towards the waterfall to check it out. He knew that he and Ram were planning to get quality time with their friends, but the chance to see flowers and to get some pictures of his boyfriend amongst the flowers was an opportunity he didn’t want to pass up. His line of thinking was interrupted by one of Ram’s friends.

“Um, I’m going to head to the waterfall with Bohn. See you guys later,” Duen informed his friends as he walked towards King’s group and next to Bohn, who smirked at him.

“Let’s go, King! The waterfall is this way,” Tee called out to King. Ram looked behind him to see King turn towards Tee.

“I think I’m going to go check out the meadow of flowers with the nongs,” King informed Tee. Ram was both surprised and not surprised about King wanting to go with him and his friends. Ram knew that King couldn’t get away from seeing beautiful flowers and plants. He was still surprised he chose not to go with his friends because King was so adamant about them doing so. It wasn’t like Ram was sad about it though. It allowed him to spend time with his King, even if it was just as senior and junior.

Tee nodded at King and said, “Okay. Make sure you are back by our scheduled meeting before dinner.” King nodded. Tee looked at the juniors.

“Nongs, make sure you all stay together with King the farther you get away from camp. We don’t want anyone to get lost in the forest. Everyone should be paired up, if possible.”

Ram and his friends nodded. With Duen gone with King’s friends, they were all paired up, but King would be the odd man out. Ram would watch out for him though, regardless.

“As long as we stick together and nobody is out alone, we should be fine, “King said.

“Okay, well, we will see you back at camp in a few hours,” Tee said as King’s friends and Duen started walking towards the waterfall. King turned back to Ram and his friends.

“Ready?”, King asked. The juniors nodded and Tang led their way through the forest.

************************

Tang might have been leading the way to the meadow, but King was the tour guide. King talked about the forest ecosystem.

“Did you know that forests are an important ecosystem in Thailand? About 37% of Thailand is forested. Forest clearing for agriculture and excessive logging has caused a decline in the land covered by forests. That is why it is so important that we are planting trees…” King informed Phu, Ting, and Tang as they followed the path through the trees. King was enjoying himself. Being surrounded by plants and trees, King was in his element.

Ram walked behind King to 1) make sure King doesn’t fall or trip because he has tended to be more clumsy after his head injury, 2) to focus on King’s voice because it was soothing to him, 3) to be able to check out King from the back without anyone noticing, and 4) to keep from looking at King’s face and staring at him because he was so handsome. Ram loved that King was so smart and talkative. He could listen to King all day and be content. King’s voice to Ram was as comforting as a warm hug to him. King’s voice seems to heal him from feelings of loneliness and anger. King's voice made him feel safe and made him feel happy. He looked up at the forest ceiling as the light penetrated through the leaves and smiled to himself.

King turned to his side and noticed that Ram was smiling.

“Cool Boy! Are you having fun?”, King asked as he turned to look at Ram. Ram looked up at King and nodded. King knew he shouldn’t have looked at Ram. He noticed the sunlight reflecting off all the leaves, but also off Ram’s hair and his face. Ram’s eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, and it took his breath away. Ram was just so good looking that sometimes King couldn’t handle it.

They were interrupted by Ting Ting pointing up the trail and yelling, “Hey look! There it is!”

  
King and Ram looked where Ting Ting was pointing and noticed that the trees were getting sparse. Ting Ting, Tang, and Phu rushed up the trail. King and Ram followed them side by side, stealing glances at each other. Before they left the safety of the forest, Ram grabbed King’s arm and stopped King from continuing.

“P’, how are you feeling? How’s your head?”, Ram asked concerned. King put his hand on top of Ram’s.

“I’m fine, Cool Boy! Don’t worry! Let’s enjoy the meadow!”, King said as patted Ram’s hand and continued to walk up the trail. He had felt a little dizzy and was starting to have a bit of a headache, but he didn’t want Ram to worry.

As they got to the edge of the forest, King and Ram noticed the meadow coming into view. They ended up at the top of a sloping meadow that was vegetated by tall grass and flowers. The grass stood tall to about their waists and looked like an ocean of green, interspersed with different colored flowers.

While Ram’s friends were busy taking pictures of themselves amongst the scenery and Ting Ting was doing a vlog, King spoke to Ram, “This meadow is such an important ecosystem because it allows for biodiversity in the food chain. Plants are the beginning of the food chain and support all living things.”

Ram knew that King was a nature enthusiast and enjoyed all the facts that King was sharing with him. It made him realize how much he was starting to enjoy King’s interests as much as his own.

Ting Ting called King and Ram over to take a few pictures. King took a picture of Ram and his friends in the middle of the field with tall grass surrounding them and the mountains behind them. King joined the group of friends for a selfie.

Another group of juniors came up to their group and wai’d King. They were going to head back to camp to play a multiplayer game on their phones and relax before dinner. They asked if anyone from Ram’s group wanted to join in and Phu jumped at the chance. He said bye to his friends and left with the other juniors.

Ting Ting, Tang, King, and Ram continued to look at the various flowers in the field when King noticed a patch of pink down the slope of the meadow they were on and asked the group if they wanted to go check it out. Ting Ting and Tang passed on going down to check on the flowers, opting to try to get pictures along the stream running through the meadow near the edge of the forest.

“Cool Boy, will you come with me?”, King asked as he was excited about going down the slope to see the flowers. Ram saw how excited King was and nodded.

Ting Ting and Tang watched the interaction and looked at each other furtively, before Tang said, “We’re going to head towards the stream on the other side of the meadow. Let’s meet back here on the trail in about 45 minutes.”

King and Ram looked at each other and agreed. Ram decided to set a 30-minute timer on his watch and nodded to his friends. King and Ram then turned and walked through the grass towards the pink flowers.

Ting Ting and Tang watched them for a few seconds, then Ting Ting said, “Come on. I need some footage of the stream for my vlog.” Ting Ting then led Tang the other direction, along the forest-line towards the stream they saw from afar.

***************************

King and Ram continued to walk down the path towards the flowers. As King continued his commentary about wildflowers, Ram looked around to see if anyone was near them. They were the only ones in the area. There were no other people around. He then attempted to grab King’s hand, but King pulled it out of his grasp.

“What are you doing, Cool Boy?” King asked, looking around to see if anyone saw them.

Ram looked at King. King understood that look.

“I know there is nobody around, but someone can still see us, “King said.

Ram sighed and walked ahead of King. He just wanted to seize the opportunity to spend time with his boyfriend alone and is starting to feel their “secret relationship” issue is becoming more of a pain than he thought it was going to be. Ram started to slow down as they got to the pink wildflowers that King had seen from the forest trail.

“Cool Boy! Cool Boy!”, King called as he walked down the slope of the hill trying to catch up with Ram. He didn't want Ram to be upset with him. All of a sudden, King got dizzy and his vision started to get blurry. He didn’t see where he was walking and ended up tripping and propelling his body forward.

Ram turned around just as King called his name and noticed King looking a little disoriented before he started falling forward. Ram was able to get back to King and break his fall but not before falling backward himself as they were already walking at an angle, gravity pulling both of them to the ground.

“Oof,” Ram uttered as he hit the ground with King on top of them. They fell in the grass and were surrounded by tall green blades and pink flowers. Ram and King laid there flush against each other, legs tangled, and King’s head on Ram’s chest. It took them a while to catch their breaths, but King finally brought his head up to look at Ram.

“Are you okay?”, King asked. Ram didn’t respond so King pulled himself up, so his legs were on either side of Ram’s body as he sat on Ram’s stomach. King started to check Ram’s body for any injuries.

Ram watched with a smug grin on his face as King was suddenly concerned about his welfare and started putting his hands on his body. Ram remained silent to allow King to continue his ministrations without interruption.

King then checked out Ram’s face before stopping completely and eyeing Ram. He started to get up off of Ram but not before Ram brought his arms around King’s torso and pulled him flush against his body again. King tried to look anywhere but Ram’s face. Ram brought one hand to King’s face and moved his head so they could make eye contact, while he held King’s waist with the other. Ram’s eyebrows were scrunched, and his big sad eyes looked upward into King’s, begging for forgiveness. King signed in despair and laid his forehead against Ram’s shoulder. After a minute, King realized that, in his and Ram’s current position, they could not see past the grass and flowers since they were so tall. He figured nobody could see them in the grass either since they were surrounded.

King lifted his head and made eye contact with Ram.

“Okay, Cool Boy! You win!” King said as he kissed Ram on the nose. Ram’s smiled happily.  
“How much time do we have?”, King asked

Ram looked at his watch. It took them about 10 minutes to walk down the slope of the mountain. They could always run back up if they needed to.

“About 30 minutes,” Ram said.

“Okay, “King said. “I don’t know how we try to stay apart but always end up together.”

“Maybe it’s just that we are meant to be”, Ram concluded. King looked into Ram’s eyes and saw trust, sincerity, and love.

“I miss you, P”, Ram admitted.

“I’ve been with you this whole time,” King said.

“It’s not the same,” Ram shared and started looking at the grass.

King brought his hand to Ram’s head to run his fingers through Ram’s hair. Ram closed eyes and savored the touch of King rubbing his scalp. Ram loves it when King does this.

“I miss you, too,” King whispered.

Ram then felt King slowly give him kisses on his chin towards his ear. King then gently sucked on Ram’s earlobe, nibbling and licked around the shell of his ear. Occasionally, King would lightly blow on his earlobe, sending tingles all over Ram’s body. Ram couldn’t take it and he lifted King and flipped him over to switch their positions. King squeezed his eyes hard for a second before Ram realized that he may have been too rough. He checked King’s head before looking at King’s face.

“I’m so sorry, P’! Are you okay? Wait, what happened when you tripped earlier? Is it your head?”, Ram asked worriedly.

King took a deep breath. “I’m fine, Cool Boy. I just got a little dizzy and my vision went weird. I’m okay now, “King reassured Ram.

“Are you sure?”, Ram asked. King nodded.

Ram got off of King completely and laid next to him. Both their heads were tilted to the side facing each other. They laid there in the grass comfortably, looking into each other’s eyes. It felt like time stopped and they were the only ones in this meadow, with the grass and flowers surrounding them. King felt better and more relaxed as he laid on the grass with Ram. Ram grabbed his phone from his pocket and brought it up to look at briefly before holding his phone at arm’s length and taking a picture of them surrounded by grass and flowers, looking at each other lovingly. Ram looked at the picture and showed it to King.

“Send me a copy, Cool Boy, “King demanded. Ram nodded and put his phone away. King was very surprised at how he and Ram seemed to complement each other in many ways, including their looks. He was amazed at their visuals.

Ram then got on his side, his elbow on the ground with his hand holding up his head and looked at King. Ram grabbed one of the pink flowers and looked at it thoughtfully.

“Pretty, “Ram commented and showed it to King. King stared at it. Ram then brought the flower and put it behind King’s ear as King looked into Ram’s face. King looked so handsome laying in the green grass with a flower behind his ear looking up at Ram. They stared at each other for a while before Ram sat up, got his phone out of his pocket, and aimed it at King.

“What are you doing?”, King asked as he looked into the phone pointing at his face.

“Taking a picture of my very good looking boyfriend,” Ram said proudly as King heard the click of the shutter sound. King sat up.

“I want a picture of my very good looking boyfriend, too,” King requested, as he took Ram’s phone and took a picture of Ram smiling with green grass and flowers behind him. It took his breath away. He gave the phone back to Ram.

King took the pink flower from his ear and looked at it. He took out his wallet and put the flower in it to keep it for memories’ sake.

King and Ram looked at each other and smiled. Their heads leaned in slowly before their lips touched. King opened his mouth and pushed his tongue into Ram’s mouth. Ram pushed his tongue against King’s as he tilted his head to get a better angle. They continued to give each other open-mouthed kisses until Ram broke their kiss and started kissing along King’s jawline. He brought his hand up to King’s jaw to turn his head to get better access and to hold King in place as he started to kiss and lick King’s neck. Ram’s firm tongue was doing some hard strokes onto King’s neck and King couldn’t help but moan as Ram went up to from his neck to nibble on his earlobe as King did earlier.

King couldn’t take it anymore. He pushed Ram down and straddled Ram’s hips. He attacked Ram’s mouth and devoured him while lining up their crotches together. Ram brought his hands to grab King’s ass, eliciting heavy breathing and a moan from King.

 **BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP  
** **BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP  
** **BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP  
**

Ram leaned his head back and groaned. His alarm. He very much wanted to stay in this grassy meadow all day with King, but the last thing he wanted was Ting Ting and Tang to find them making out in the grass. Ram sat up with King still straddled on his lap.

King laid his head on Ram’s shoulder and took a few breaths in and out. Ram rubbed his back to help relax him. They shouldn’t have let it get this far but King was starting to realize that it is becoming harder to be away from Ram. It was like he was a moth to a flame when it came to Ram.

“We got to go back, or they’ll start looking for us, “King said into Ram’s shoulder. Ram nodded and hugged King. King hugged him back. They both let go reluctantly and looked at each other before leaning their foreheads together. King rubbed his nose against Ram’s and sighed. Ram grabbed King’s face, looked him in the eye with the utmost care, before closing his eyes and rubbing his nose against King’s. King and Ram both didn’t want to leave their comfortable positions, but King reluctantly got off Ram’s lap and looked above the grass to see if the coast was clear. They were still the only ones in this part of the meadow, and he couldn’t see anyone near the edge of the forest where they started, so King stood up. He gave Ram his hand and pulled him up. They took all the grass out of their hair and off their clothes. When they looked presentable, King turned to walk back up towards the trail.

Before he could get too far, Ram spun King around and hugged him.

“Please let me know if you are not feeling well, P’. I’ll help you, “Ram told King.

“Cool Boy! Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself,” King countered. Ram nodded but was still wary.

“Let’s go, Cool Boy! There is still more to see before we have to head back to camp!”, King declared as he took out his phone and started taking pictures of some of the flowers and grass as he walked up the slope.

Ram followed King up the slope, making sure that he was right there in case something happened. He knows King wants to be independent and does not want Ram to take care of him anymore, but he can’t help but want to be there for him. When you care for someone as much as Ram cares for King, you can’t help but worry about that person. Ram hopes that there aren’t going to be any more mishaps as he and King start walking through the meadow back up to the forest trail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like that? Please let me know!!! Any encouragement would help a bunch!
> 
> Can King and Ram keep their relationship "secret"? I don't think they are fooling anyone. LOL
> 
> I really hope you enjoyed it and want me to continue.


	17. Worrying Takes Away Today’s Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram leave the meadow and get reunited with Ting Ting and Tang on the forest trail. They end up stopping by the waterfall and stream to relax and take some pictures, but things occur that bring about more stress and worry than they had expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay and if there are any weird typos or mistakes. This was a situation where I wrote a 7000+ word chapter and realized that it was too long a chapter to post, so I had to split it up. I got tired of looking at it, so I'm just posting it.
> 
> This is mostly filler to get you to the next chapter. These are mostly scenes from Episode 13.
> 
> Enjoy!

Ram and King got up to the edge of the forest near the trail just as Ting Ting and Tang got there.

“How were the flowers?“ , Ting Ting asked. 

“They were beautiful. Here take a look,” King shared. King showed Ting Ting and Tang the pictures of the grass and flowers that he had taken.

“Nong, how was the stream?”, King asked.

Tang answered, “It was pretty with the water flowing. We saw some fish."

Ting Ting looked at Ram and King. “Do you want to head back to the campgrounds? We can try to look around more and take some pictures along the way,” Ting Ting suggested.

Ram looked at King and nodded. King responded, “That sounds good, Nong. Lead the way!”

King followed Ting Ting and Ram walked along the trail with Tang. 

Ting Ting asked King about what the plan was for the reforestation, so King started going into detail about the whole process of arranging for the volunteer activity and goals of the project.

Tang and Ram were walking behind them when King overheard Tang trying to ask Ram something.

“Ram, what happened this weekend? We were so worried about you. I even got your spare key to check your room, but you weren’t there. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Ram said. Tang looked at him disbelievingly. All of Ram's friends were sure that Ram was not fine since he has been quieter and more withdrawn than normal. 

“Really? You disappeared for hours. Duen had called all of us to check out your usual spots. He told us P’King went searching for you. How’d did he find you?”

Ram shrugged. He honestly didn’t know how King found him. It just goes to show how smart King was and how much he understood Ram. 

“We almost got to the point that we were going to contact Pin,” Tang shared.

King looked back at Ram before continuing his discussion with Ting Ting.

“Why would you call Pin to look for me?” Ram asked as King wondered the same thing. Ram was upset that they were associating Pin with him. 

“She is one of your close friends outside of us. If you don’t go to us for something, you would go to her,” Tang commented.

“Not anymore,” Ram thought. Ram was still upset about his friend and her relationship with his dad. He still cannot believe what she and his dad are doing to his family.

“Well, she wouldn’t have known. I went off on my own and lost track of time and where I was. I forgot to let anyone know what I was doing. I’m sorry, “Ram apologized.

“Don’t worry about it. We are just glad that you are okay. You know that you could always come to us for anything, right?”, Tang reminded him.

Ram nodded and said, “I know. Thanks!” He tried to change the subject.

“What did you do this weekend?”, Ram asked.

“Ting and I went to Truelove at Neverland?”, Tang informed Ram with a smirk.

“Really?”, Ram asked, shaking his head amused.

Ting Ting overheard and yelled back to Ram. “Have Tang show you the pictures!” before turning back to King.

“We went to a pet café where you can play with a pack of huskies while drinking coffee and eating snacks, “Ting Ting informed King. 

He saw Ram looking at Tang’s pictures on his phone, smiling broadly. Ram loved dogs, thus why he has three of them at home.

“P’King, you should come with us next time, “Ting Ting suggested to King. Ram looked up from Tang’s phone. King looked at Ram.

“Maybe. One day,” King responded. King was still scared of dogs, but he wanted to figure out a way to be able to be around them for Ram since he loved dogs so much. 

*********************

The group continued to walk along the path, through the forest closer to camp.

Tang looked up and pointed out, “Hey, some of the volunteers are playing near the waterfall and that area over there looks beautiful. Let’s go.” 

Tang led everyone to the waterfall and stream and started arguing with Ting Ting about taking pictures of him as they crossed to the other side of it. Ram swears they act like an old married couple. They really should just hook up already. 

Ram then noticed King take off his shoes and go into the water. What is he doing! There was no way Ram was going to let King go in the water by himself with his head injury. He shouldn’t be in the water anyway. Ram took off his shoes and followed King into the water. Ram pretended that he was looking at the foliage, but he was watching King.

King was so excited about being in the water. It was cool and refreshing and he was having fun splashing around the water.

“Ahem,” Ram uttered while watching King play in the water. Ram looked at King concerned. Ram knows King is not supposed to get his stitches wet. King being in the water worries him, considering that King has been clumsy ever since he got the head injury.

King stopped splashing and looked at Ram. 

“I know. I have to be careful with the stitches on my head. The water is not deep. There is nothing to worry about,” King said with confidence. King didn't want his head injury to keep him from having fun. He loved being in the water.

Ram nodded with an acceptance that he couldn’t do anything to change King’s mind. He turned his body away from King and looked at some leaves as King continued to splash water. 

King noticed a stem that fell into the water and went to pick it up. King had noticed the buds on the stem, turned, and started walking in the water. As he was walking, he slipped, hit his head on a rock in the middle of the stream, and fell into the water.

Ram had turned to look at King and witnessed the whole thing.

“P’King!” Ram yelled as he rushed to grab King.

King’s head was out of the water when he looked up at Ram and said,” I was already very careful, but it’s slippery.” King knew Ram was worried about him, but he felt okay, besides the pain in his head.

Ram’s lips formed into a line and he was determined to get King out this situation. He grabbed King’s arm to pull him out of the water but was getting resistance from King. King didn’t want to get out.

“I am fine. Really, “King exclaimed from the water. Ram still had a firm grip on King’s wrist and looked at him. 

Ram’s patience was wearing thin. King kept putting himself in situations where he could get hurt and he did not like it. He wants his King safe. He waits to hear what King has to say.

“Can I still play?”, King asked. King was hoping that Ram would still let him play in the water despite what happened.

“No!”, Ram responded as he started pulling King to get him out of the water. Ram wanted to get King out of harm's way.

King pleaded with Ram, “Hey, I am not allowed to play anymore?”

Ram stopped to look at King. King looked up at Ram and asked, “Can I?” King looked so cute that Ram almost considered it, but he needed to think about his boyfriend’s welfare. He continued to pull King out of the water until they got to the water’s edge. 

“Sit,” Ram demanded as he walked off. King knew Ram was a little upset about the situation. If things were reversed, he would protect Ram, too. He knows he was being a bit immature about the situation by going into the water. King hopes that he didn’t do anything to mess up his recovery.

*******************

Ram had to walk away for a few minutes. He was upset. He did not like people he cared about getting hurt, especially if it could have been prevented. He needed to do something to calm down.

Ram started looking through the flowers and plants near the stream. He started picking up some flowers and the stems with buds on them like the one King picked up in the stream. He also picked up some fountain grass. He sat down and found one with a long stem and started wrapping the grass and stems around it. 

When Ram was younger, one of the things Pin would make Ram do was make flower crowns for them to wear. Ram misses the days where he and Pin would innocently play and just enjoy each other’s company. Now, the thought of his childhood friend breaks his heart. 

Ram doesn’t know how their relationship started, but both Pin and his dad are at fault. Ram was still debating confronting them about their relationship.

Ram sighed deeply and looked at what he created in his hands. He overlapped the ends of the flowers and wrapped some stems around the overlapped sections several times. He secured it by tucking the stems into the flower crown. He added some additional grass and buds to it to make it look fuller. Ram turned over the crown in his hands. He was satisfied with his work and hoped that King would like it.

Ram had felt bad for snapping at King. He knew King loved nature and just wanted to enjoy it. He regretted being so forceful, but he was just very concerned about King’s welfare. He hoped that King would take the flower crown as a peace offering.

*******************

King sat at the edge of the stream. He was initially mad at Ram, but now he just feels bad. Ram was just trying to take care of him. King does exactly what he is not supposed to do and gets in the water. Then, he hits his head again and falls into the water, getting his stitches wet. King sighs to himself and realizes that he was bringing his hands up to his head. 

King thinks that Ram must be so disappointed that he got in the water. King has always been independent. He’s supposed to be able to take care of himself and is upset at himself for not doing so. He does not want to become reliant on Ram. Plus, King is a senior and Ram is a junior. King should be the one taking care of Ram instead of it being the other way around. King stared downstream deep in thought.

******************

Ram walked back to the stream and saw King pondering on the edge of the water. He slowly walked up to his boyfriend and put the crown on his head. King looked up and brought his hands up to touch the crown. He turned to Ram.

“What’s this?”, King asked. Ram sat down next to King. King grabbed the object and took it off his head. Ram watched as King realized that it was a flower crown. Ram noticed King's face beaming with a radiant smile as King turned the flower crown around in his hands.

“You made it yourself?”, King asked Ram as he turned to look at Ram. They made eye contact and Ram nodded his head. King was so touched that Ram made him a crown and looked at it preciously.

“Thanks, “King said as he put it back on his head. Ram looked at how happy King was. King turned back to Ram.

“How do I look?", King asked smiling happily. Ram looked adoringly at King who was holding the crown and modeling it for him with a huge smile on his face.

“Looks good right?”, King asked. Ram looked at the crown on King’s head and King’s face. Ram nodded to King. Ram thought King looked adorable as King moved the crown around and fixed his hair.

“Come follow me. You make sure I look good okay, Tang?”, King and Ram heard Ting Ting say as she and Tang came back from taking pictures. 

“Fine,” Tang said as he followed Ting Ting across the stream.

“Nong Ting!”, King called out. King and Ram both looked up to Ting Ting and Tang.

“Yes,” Ting Ting responded. She observed King and Ram sitting close together on the edge of the stream. 

“Can you take a picture of me? I want to know how I look wearing this”, King asked as he pointed to his crown.

Ting Ting noticed the crown and said, “So cute! Did you make it yourself?” Tang looked at the crown and King and Ram.

“A very kind person gave it to me,” King replied with a smug smile. Ram looked down shyly.

Ting Ting and Tang looked at each other. Their non-verbal communication seemed to be very similar to Ram and King's. Tang nodded his head covertly at Ting Ting as she got her phone ready to take a picture.

“Ram, move! I am taking a picture of him, “Ting Ting told Ram. Ram was about to get up when he felt King put his hand on his knee and King and Ram looked at each other for a second.

“It’s fine. Take a photo of us together,” King said as he looked back up at Ting Ting and Tang.

“Okay!,” Ting Ting said. Tang watched as Ting Ting got in a position to take King and Ram’s picture.

“Smile!”, Ting Ting instructed King and Ram. Ting Ting and Tang looked at King and Ram in the camera’s viewer. King and Ram looked up at Ting Ting. 

“1, 2, 3,” Ting Ting counted as she took a picture of King sitting handsomely with the crown on his head while Ram brought up his hand in a peace sign.

Ting Ting looked at the picture before showing it to King and Ram. She thought it was a very nice picture of both of them.

“Here,” Ting Ting said and handed her phone over to King. King looked at the picture.

“That looks good!”, King exclaimed as he looked at the picture with Ram looking over his shoulder. Both King and Ram thought that they looked amazing together and felt lucky they had each other. 

“Send it to me please, “King requested as he gave Ting Ting back her phone.

“No problem. 5 baht per picture,” Ting Ting joked and then continued, “Me and Tang are going to take some pictures over there,” as she pointed to an area behind King and Ram.

“Okay, “King responded.

“Okay. Call me if you need anything,” Ting Ting said as she and Tang started walking across the stream behind King and Ram.

“Bye,” King said as he waved goodbye. Ram waved to Ting Ting and Tang also. 

“Bye! See you!", Ting Ting responded. 

Ting Ting gave the phone to Tang and he looked at King and Ram’s picture on the phone.

“I think Ram and P’King look very cute together,” he commented to Ting Ting as they walked behind Ram and King. He looked at them before looking at Ting Ting. 

“Just like a sweet couple, “Tang continued. Ting Ting took the phone back from Tang and said, “Can your voice be any lower?” as they walked away to take more pictures.

King looked at Tang and Ting Ting as they walked away, having heard their comments. Ram looked towards the stream. Ram realized that Tang and Ting Ting’s observations had made him feel good and he smiled too himself. He liked to be associated with King. 

King realized that people were not opposed to him and Ram’s closeness. At least, that would make it easier when they do go public with their relationship. He looked at Ram’s small smile. Ram looked back at him questioningly but then they both turned their heads to look down the stream. Ram then looked at the water.

“It’s fun here. The weather is so good, “King stated his opinion to Ram as he looked at Ram’s profile as he looked down the stream. “And you can forget about your father for a while, “King continued as he and Ram sat side by side.

At the mention of his father, Ram looked down at his legs. King noticed and realized immediately his mistake. 

“I made you stressed, right?”, King asked concerned. Ram looked at King sadly. King regretted mentioning Ram’s father when they were having fun and enjoying being together. He couldn’t handle seeing Ram’s sad eyes. 

“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to, “King apologized as he put his hand on Ram’s knee. Ram looked down at King’s hand. He wanted for King to hug him, to hold him, and to make him feel better, but he also did not want to burden King with his troubles. He decided the best solution was to walk away to clear his head, so he got up, and reluctantly walked away from King.

King watched Ram walk away and was upset with himself. Everything was going fine and he kept on making poor decisions. This was not like him at all. He is not sure if his head injury or the stress of keeping their relationship secret was making him feel off. He does not know why he mentioned Ram’s father. This trip was to give Ram some time to relax and distract him from thinking about his father. King knew that he and Ram were supposed to maintain a senior and junior relationship for now, but he didn’t want to be apart because of something he said. When Ram didn’t come back after a few minutes, King picked up his shoes near the stream and starting to walk back to camp, unhappy with the turn of events.

********************

Ram tried to go find Ting Ting and Tang but could not find them. He decided to walk back to camp. 

As he was walking, he got a notification. He checked his phone. It was a text message from Ruj.

 **Lil Bro** : P’Ram. Did you make it to the camp?

 **Ram** : Yes

 **Lil Bro** : Are you having fun with P’King? LOL

 **Ram:** Shut up. What’s up?

 **Lil Bro** : How long will you be at camp?

 **Ram** : Three days. Why?

 **Lil Bro** : Dad wants you to come home for dinner

when you get back. He said he has something 

important he wants to talk to you about.

Ram’s mom was usually the one who would request for him to come home. Ram thought about what his dad could want to talk to him about. Boxing? Not really. Ram hasn’t done the boxing circuit since he started university. School? He and his dad have an agreement that his dad would pay for his tuition as long as Ram maintained a 3.0-grade point average. With King’s tutoring and notes, Ram did pretty well on his exams and has decent grades in his classes. That’s probably not the issue. The condo? Despite the family home being so close to the university, his dad bought the condo as an investment. He also wanted to allow Ram to experience university life and be independent. Ram doesn’t feel like that would be an issue. Did something happen to his Dad’s business? 

**Ram** : What’s going on?

 **Lil Bro** : Not sure, P’. 

**Ram** : We are leaving camp on Friday

morning. I may be able to make it 

to dinner. Would that work? 

**Lil Bro** : I’ll tell Dad.

 **Ram** : Okay. I’ll see you in a few days.

 **Lil Bro:** Okay, P’! Take care!

Ram put his phone away as he got to the campgrounds. Ram is not going to dwell on whatever it is. He learned a long time ago that he cannot predict anything so he will not make any assumptions until he has all the information. He needed to clear his head. Ram got his bag from Tang’s tent and went to go take a shower. Ram let the hot water calm him down and wash away his stress. After his long shower, he dried himself, got dressed, and walked back to Tang’s tent to put his stuff away. He breathed in some fresh air. 

Ram felt bad for leaving King at the stream, but he and King will eventually talk, and they will be fine. He knows that King probably feels bad for mentioning his dad, but Ram knew that King didn’t mean anything by it. The fact that his dad had something important to talk to him about worried him, but he knows he can’t do anything about it until he meets him on Friday. He might as well occupy himself at the camp. 

As he was thinking about things, he noticed his friends standing near a tree talking. He walked up to them.

“Oh, Ram! There you are! we are going to go to get dinner. You want to come?“, Phu informed Ram. Ram nodded.

Ram needed a distraction and his friends were available. Phu started talking about the multiplayer game that he played with some of the other juniors as him, Ting Ting, Tang, and Duen walked to the dining area.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this turned out pretty bland. I'm pretty disappointed that I couldn't fit any Eskimo kisses in this chapter.
> 
> I'm hoping I'll make up for the lack of kisses with all that is happening next chapter. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it, even just a little.


	18. Nighttime Bonding and Altered Sleeping Arrangements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King has to attend a meeting and complete his assigned task as one of the seniors. Ram hangs out with his friends. King is still trying to recover from bumping his head and getting his stitches wet and Ram is here to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, how I said that this was supposed to be part of the last chapter and I had to split it up? A few warnings:
> 
> WARNING #1: It still ended up long! This is a very, very long chapter! You may want to bring some snacks and drinks with you. It may take a while to read.
> 
> WARNING #2: This chapter contains mature content. Please read at your own risk.
> 
> Scenes from Episode 13 are included in this chapter. The rest is stuff I imagined in my head.
> 
> Happy Reading!

King gets back to camp and takes a shower. He realizes that he almost forgot to attend his meeting. He rushes over to the designated area where he finds Tee, his friends, and some other seniors. Because Tee is in charge, it was natural for all the Hazers to fall in line to support him. Tee needed seniors to be responsible for certain tasks during the trip to make sure things went smoothly. Tee assigns tasks to everyone. Since King was so friendly and personable, he was given the task of checking on all the volunteers before the night ends for any needs or concerns as well as to remind them that they would be waking up early the next day to plant trees. After the meeting, King and his friends talk about what they saw around the forest while walking to dinner.

**********************

After dinner, Ram and his friends hang out and talk. Ram and Tang notice that Duen was a bit quieter and more withdrawn. Ram and Tang look at each other before Ram spoke.

“Are you okay?”, Ram asks as they start walking back to the tents.

“Yeah, what’s going on? You look sad about something,” Tang asks.

Duen explains everything that happened with Bohn today and how Bohn is avoiding him. Duen also discusses how they had planned to sleep in the same tent and how Bohn is now sleeping somewhere else. Duen admits he is upset.

“Calm down first. He should be better tomorrow. You can sleep with me first tonight, “Tang suggests.

Duen responds, “You said you were going to sleep with Ram.”

“Let him sleep with Phu then,” Tang counters.

The three friends then hear Phu’s voice and turn. Phu was talking to the senior in charge of sleep accommodations and found out that he did not have a tent. Phu was not on the list. Phu is freaking out because he didn’t want to sleep outside with all the mosquitos. The senior offers to have Phu sleep with him. Tang, Ram, and Duen watch as Phu tries to resist the senior and is dragged over to the senior’s tent.

“Phu is sorted. How about you Ram? Going to join them?”, Tang teases.

Ram's head swivels back to Tang in disbelief. He would not want to join the senior and Phu in that tent.

Tang laughs, looks at Ram, and asks, “Where are you going to sleep?”

******************

King is making his rounds around the camp. His job is to check to make sure that all the volunteers were comfortable, ask if they needed anything, and remind them about having to wake up early to plant trees. King realizes early on that he needs to announce himself outside of the tents because he has ended up observing couples making out or people in all stages of undress. He also had not realized how bold people were with the number of invitations he got to join them in their tents.

King is tired and not feeling well. He probably infected his stitches when he fell in the water and bumped his head. He is trying to manage a fever he’s had since he got back to camp and has had bouts of dizziness and a headache. What King would do to be cuddled next to Ram! They had already talked about sleeping with their friends so he would have to wait until they got back home.

After he was done doing his rounds, King walks over to Tee’s tent to find out that Bohn was sleeping there.

“Tee, if you are sleeping with Bohn, then I have to sleep alone,” King complains to Tee. King couldn’t believe that this was happening to him.

“Uh-huh, “Tee nods.

Ram and his friends turn as they overhear King’s conversation with Tee.

“What! Where do I sleep? I don’t want to sleep alone. It’s lonely,” King says to Tee then notices that Ram and his friends are a few tents away and looking at them. Tee looks over at the juniors also. Ram looks at King and King looks at Ram.

Duen, Tang, and Tee look between King and Ram as they watch King and Ram stare at each other. Tang clears his throat.

“P’Tee, Ram has nobody to sleep with. He can sleep with P’King,” Tang proposes.

“Good idea, Nong,” Tee says as he notices King still staring at Ram. Tee rolls his eyes.

“King, Cool Boy can sleep with you, so you won’t be lonely,” Tee teases King. King realizes that he was staring at Ram and turns to Tee and nods.

“Okay,” King agrees with Tee. King is not sure what to make of this turn of events. It happened again. Fate keeps on pushing him and Ram together.

Ram couldn’t believe his luck. He misses King and after texting Ruj about going home, he just wants to be with his boyfriend. Ram didn’t want to ask if he could sleep with King, so he's glad things turned out the way it did.

“Cool Boy! Grab your stuff,” King demands. King hasn’t talked to Ram since the stream and he wants to make sure that Ram is okay. This will be a good opportunity for them to talk privately. Ram grabs his stuff and follows King to his tent.

********************

“Here’s our tent, “King informs Ram. He unzips the tent and goes in. Ram squats down to go in as King peeks out of the entrance. He is bent over with his hands on his knees and looks at Ram.

“Yeah, Cool Boy. What happened this evening, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to mention your dad, “King says apologetically.

Ram and King continue to stare at each other. King feels guilty for mentioning his dad, but Ram doesn't want King to feel bad about it.

“Did I make you stress?”, King asks sincerely. King does not want to make things worse for Ram and just cares for him.

Ram looks down and thinks about it. King waits for his response.

One side of Ram’s mouth goes up. He wants to reassure King that things are okay.

“It’s fine. I know you meant well”, Ram answers.

“Thank you,” King says relieved. They continue to stare at each other.

“Okay, let’s sleep. We have to get up early to plant trees. Come in,” King says as he opens up the tent so Ram could come in. Ram enters the tent and King zips the entrance shut.

******************

Ram puts his stuff down, lays down on his sleeping bag and pillow, and looks up at the ceiling. King lays down on his sleeping bag and pillow. He then turns on his side to face Ram.

“Cool Boy are you okay?”, King asks. He is still worried about mentioning Ram's dad earlier.

Ram nods to King.

“Ruj texted me,” Ram informs King.

King sits up and moves closer to Ram. He grabs Ram’s hand and holds it between both of his own. King is hoping that what Ruj texted Ram wasn’t that bad.

“What happened? Is everything okay?”, King asks, worried about Ram and his family.

“My dad wants me to come home for dinner when we get back. He said he has something important that he wants to talk to me about,” Ram tells King.

King nods his head. “What do you think it’s about?”, King asks.

“No idea,” Ram admits.

“Well, don’t make any assumptions yet,” King suggests. He rubs his thumb over Ram’s hand. He looks at Ram, who is looking up at the ceiling.

“I wish I was going back with you. We have been so occupied this weekend that I didn’t tell you that I’m going to my grandmother’s house after the camp is done for a few days. I am supposed to be back on Sunday. I can try to come back earlier, “King says. King wants to be there for Ram, especially if something bad goes down at his house. Ram doesn't want King to change his plans.

“No P’, it’s okay. Spend time with your grandmother. I’ll be okay, “Ram encourages King.

“Will you call me if something happens?”, King asks. “Please?”, King continues and looks at Ram’s face. He wants to express to Ram how he wants to be there for him.

Ram nods. King leans forward and presses a kiss to Ram’s forehead before lining up his nose with Ram’s and rubbing their noses together a few times.

King let go of Ram’s hands and goes back to his side of the tent to lay down. King sets the alarm on his phone so they can wake up early tomorrow since he does not want a repeat performance of this morning.

“Sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow. Goodnight, “King says to Ram. King turns the other way, so he is not looking at Ram. He still isn’t feeling that great and needs to rest. He closes his eyes and slowly drifts off to sleep.

Ram looks at King’s back and sighs. Ram guesses that the Eskimo kiss is the extent of the affection he’ll be getting tonight. He is okay with that though. He didn’t think he would get anything since he was supposed to sleep elsewhere so he is content with the Eskimo kiss and sleeping next to his King.

****************

Ram is sleeping on his side, facing away from King. King suddenly wakes up due to his head hurting. King looks into his bag for his medicine. He takes out his bottle and opens it to find that he ran out of medication. King looks at Ram and debates about waking him up or going to the first aid station. King decides that he could go to the first aid station on his own and gets up. He figures he could get there and back and Ram wouldn’t even know.

King gets out of the tent and starts walking to the first aid station. His head is pounding, he feels dizzy, and his vision is blurry. It is not a good sign! King sees the first aid station in the distance, but he still has some ways to go. King leans on a tree to see if his vision clears. He continues to walk to the building and makes it to the steps but can’t go much longer. He ends up laying his head on his arm as he sat down on the steps. King is exhausted and falls asleep.

Ram is sleeping when he turns on his back. He looks to his side to check on King, but King is not there.

“Where is P’King?”, Ram asks himself.

Ram leaves the tent and looks for King. Ram was worried. King has continually put himself in harm’s way since his head injury. He needs to find King and he needs to find him now! If something happened to King, he wouldn’t know what to do. He walks towards the first aid station and the restrooms and notices a figure lying on the steps of the first aid station.

He rushes to the building and tries to shake King awake.

“P’King!”, Ram says. He gets no response. “P’King!”, he says again. King is disoriented as he looks up at Ram and then lays his head back down on his arm.

Ram grabs King’s phone and puts it in his pocket. He then lifts King and carries him on his back to their tent. Ram gets King inside and lays him down. He sits cross-legged waiting for King to come to. Ram watches King anxiously, hoping that King will wake up. After a minute or so, King blinks and looks up at Ram.

“Sorry. I think we were at the waterfall when I bumped my head and the wound got infected, so I got a fever” King confesses.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”, Ram reprimands King as he helps King get up on his elbow. He then grabs a bottle of medicine and a water bottle behind him. Ram had brought extra medicine with him just in case King needed it.

“Sorry! I didn’t want to bother you, “King admits as he watches Ram open the bottle and take out some medicine for him. Ram gives the medicine to King, who puts it in his mouth, chugs down some water, and gives the water bottle back to Ram.

Ram watches as King lays back down and closes his eyes.

“Thanks”, King says. King lays back down on his back and has his arms wrapped around his body.

Ram brings the back of his hand to King’s forehead. It's hot.

“You have a fever, “Ram concludes. “Are you cold?”, Ram asks.

“Just a bit, “King answers. Ram brings his pillow closer to King’s pillow and puts his arm around King as he looks at King’s face. King looks at Ram’s arm and his proximity and then meets Ram’s eyes. Ram’s eyes show his concern and caring for King.

“Cool Boy!”, King says. He debates about staying in this position or putting distance between them. He chooses the latter.

“I am better now, “King says as he pushes Ram’s arm off of him.

“Thank you. You can sleep,” King tells Ram. Ram gets the hint and moves his pillow back to his side of the tent. Ram is upset that King is pushing him away. Ram looks up at the ceiling. King looks up at the ceiling, too, before he closes his eyes.

“Cool Boy, you don’t have to look after me tomorrow. You should be with your friends,” King says. Ram turns his head to look at King.

“I will be with my friends, too. You came with your friends. You should spend time with them,” King suggests. Ram looks up at the ceiling again. Ram is bothered by King’s statement. He doesn’t like this situation at all. Ram then tries to close his eyes.

King doesn't want to rely on Ram to take care of him. He never had to rely on anyone having to take care of him and he doesn’t want to start now. He is an independent man. “I can take care of myself tomorrow, “King tells himself. He then closes his eyes.

****************

After a few minutes laying there, Ram couldn’t take it anymore. They are laying there apart, on opposite sides of the tent, in exactly the position he does not want to be in. They are in a tent sealed from the rest of the world yet are apart from each other.

“P’?”, Ram calls out to King. King opens his eyes and looks at Ram. “Hmm?”, King answers.

“Can I talk to you?”, Ram asks. He sits up cross-legged on his sleeping bag. King gets on his side and looks at Ram. His headache is still lingering. King nods.

“I promised to you in the garden that I would communicate issues and concerns I have. P’, you are recovering from a head injury. You have been having blurred vision, dizziness, and headaches multiple times today. You’ve almost tripped multiple times, hit your head on a rock, got your stitches wet, and are running a fever. I know that I don’t have to look after you but that does not take away the fact that I want to look after you. I’m your boyfriend and I think I have a right”, Ram says to King. King takes a deep breath. Ram doesn’t say much, so for him to say all that means a lot.

“I know, but I want you to enjoy your time with your friends and not worry about me. I can take care of myself,” King counters.

“I am enjoying my time with my friends, but it’s also hard for me to do so when I’m worried about you. I know that you can take care of yourself, but you don’t have to. If I was the one who was hurt or sick, what would you do?”, Ram asks. King puts his hand on Ram’s knee.

“I would want to take care of you and be there for you, too,” King says honestly. King continues, “I’m just used to being the one who takes care of others. I’m not used to someone taking care of me.”

“Well, get used to it, because I am hoping that we can take care of each other. Don’t you want that? I do, “Ram says.

“Of course, I do, “King says in agreement.

“What about a compromise for the next few days? I will spend time with my friends, and you will spend time with your friends. I will still look out for you but from afar. I know when you are not doing well. I will only step in if you are not managing on your own, you are not taking care of yourself, or if you have nobody else around to help you. Okay?”, Ram proposes to King.

King thinks about it. King and Ram understand each other very well. King knows that Ram just wants King to be okay and it is just in his nature to look out for people he cares for. Ram knows that King values being independent and self-sufficient and respects that King wants some space for himself.

“If you step in, people are going to know something is going on between us, “King says. Ram looks at King earnestly.

“P’, I think our friends already suspect something is going on based on all the looks they have been giving us when we are together,” Ram explains. Ram isn’t clueless and apparently, their friends aren’t either. Ever since they got on the bus together, their friends have been secretly watching them and giving each other knowing looks.

“They give us looks?”, King inquires. Ram nods.

King hasn't noticed any of their friends giving him and Ram looks, except for maybe Ting Ting and Tang after they took King and Ram’s picture at the waterfall. He has to pay attention more. He looks back up at Ram.

“P’, I don’t think it matters if they find out or not. They are going to have to accept us as a couple eventually”, Ram says.

“You’re right. I don’t know if I want to go out and announce it to the world right now, but if there is a natural way for them to find out, let’s give each other a sign that it’s okay to do so,” King suggests. Ram nods.

“Are we good, P’?”, Ram asks, happy that he got his thoughts and feelings off his chest.

“We’re good. Now, let’s sleep. We have to wake up early”, King commands again. King closes his eyes. Ram thinks about something and his eyes light up. He has an idea that may have benefits for both him and King.

“Hold on, P’. Do you still have a headache?”, Ram asks.

“Yeah, I do. It’s getting better, but it’s still there”, King admits.

“I have heard that there is something you can do that can dilate your blood vessels, lower your blood pressure, and relieve headaches. Do you want to try?”, Ram asks.

“Sure. Anything would be helpful, “King says hopefully. He was getting irritated with his headache and is open to trying anything to get rid of it. Ram nods.

Ram moves over to King and lays on his side, his left elbow on the ground with his hand holding up his head. He looks down at King.

“Ready?”, Ram asks. King nods. “Close your eyes and relax, “Ram instructs King. King closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths.

Ram watches King close his eyes and brings his hand up to caress King’s cheek. King is taken aback as Ram leans forward and rubs his cheek against King’s. Ram slowly kisses down King's cheek and towards King’s mouth. Ram then continued to slowly kiss King’s lips before slowly sucking King’s lower lip and then slowly sucking King’s upper lip.

King is surprised when he feels Ram’s hand on his cheek and Ram’s cheek on his. When Ram starts to slowly kiss him, King is not focused on the headache anymore, but Ram’s lovely kisses. The slow kisses drive King crazy.

Ram had come across the idea of kissing or making out to help with headaches when he had to write a report for his high school biology class. He hadn’t remembered about it until King had wanted to go to sleep. King’s responsive so it seems to be working!

King lets out a moan and brings his arm up to Ram’s neck to pull him closer. Ram leans his body half on top of King, as he slowly licks King’s lips before slipping his tongue into King’s open mouth. King responds by sucking on Ram’s tongue before slipping his tongue into Ram’s mouth. King swirls his tongue around the tip of Ram’s tongue and then pulls back and nibbles on Ram’s lower lip. They continue to give each other open mouth kisses until Ram slows down and leaves one lingering closed-mouth kiss onto King's. Ram lifts his head slightly and looks at King.

“How’s the headache?”, Ram asks. Ram is ready to stop if King wants to. He just wants King to feel better.

“I think I need more kisses to make sure they are fully effective in taking away my headache,” King advises Ram. Ram smiles and is happy to oblige. Ram starts to lean into King, but King brings his hands up to Ram’s chest and looks at Ram’s face.

“Take off your sweatshirt, “King demands sexily to Ram.

Ram lifts his eyebrows questioningly. Things are starting to get interesting. Although King and Ram have been together for only a few days, Ram has been attracted to King for months. King has been longing for Ram since they first met, unbeknownst to himself until recently. The more they spent with each other, the more they both wanted each other, in more ways than one.

“I hear that skin-to-skin contact releases hormones to relieve stress, stabilize temperature, and promote healing. Would you mind helping me try the skin-to-skin contact to see if it would help with my headache and my fever?”, King asked adoringly.

Everyone knows that King is very smart. His headache was subsiding and he was enjoying them being together right now. To be honest with himself, once they started, King wanted more. The idea of the skin-to-skin contact was honestly from a baby book he had read when his sister was pregnant and preparing to give birth. Ram didn’t have to know that though.

Ram stares at King, amazed at the turn of the events. How can he say no to that? The night was getting better and better. Ram was not complaining, far from it.

Ram sat on his knees and grabs the bottom of his sweatshirt when his hands were stopped by King. King gets up and sits on his knees facing Ram. He slowly lifts Ram’s shirt up over his head and stares at Ram’s chest, abs, and arms. He then looks up to Ram’s face. He gestures to his shirt.

“Help me?”, King asks. Ram nods eagerly and brings his hands up to King’s biceps and rubs King’s arms down to the bottom of his shirt. He slowly lifts King’s shirt up over his head and stares at King’s upper body.

King and Ram continue to stare at each other’s bodies, but no one moves to touch the other. The silence was interestingly broken by Ram.

“He’s so hot,” Ram whispered to himself. King overheard it and smirked.

King turns around and was about to lay back down when Ram pounces on him.

Ram grabs King from behind and puts his hands on King’s waist. They stand in that position for a few seconds before Ram starts kissing up the middle of King’s back. Ram wanted his lips to touch every part of King’s body and King was savoring the warmth of Ram’s lips on his skin.

Ram’s left hand moves from King’s waist up to King’s chest as Ram starts kissing along the back of King’s neck. King brings his left hand up to intertwine his fingers with Ram’s as King turns his head to the side. King closes his eyes and enjoys the feeling of Ram nibbling on his ear and his cheek. King turns around and puts his left hand on Ram’s shoulder to keep himself up and to see Ram’s handsome face.

Ram brings his hand up to hold the back of King’s head as he starts lightly kissing King’s eyelids, then bringing his lips to King’s. King brings his other hand up to Ram’s shoulder as he turns his head to get better access to Ram’s mouth. Ram starts kissing King’s pulse point as both of his hands move down to King’s ass before lifting King, King’s arms automatically going around Ram’s neck and his legs around Ram’s waist to keep from falling. The fact that Ram can just lift King with ease and show his strength was turning King on. King held onto Ram tightly, feeling overwhelmed by all the stimulation he was experiencing being with Ram.

Ram stands and carries King while he is slowly kissing along King’s jawline and neck. Ram sits down on the floor and King straddles his waist, his legs open so they are on either side of Ram’s thighs. King and Ram realize that they both have erections and the friction is a bit too much to bear.

King gets up on his knees and hugs Ram tightly before kissing the top of his head. Ram kisses and licks King’s chest, enjoying the taste of his King. King runs his hands slowly through Ram’s hair, then leans down to kiss Ram fully on the mouth. Ram slowly moves his hands up and down King’s back, sometimes dipping his hands past King’s pants and boxers to massage King’s ass. Ram grabs King’s ass closer to him so their crotches rub against each other, eliciting a moan from King. King attacks Ram’s neck and pushes Ram on his back while he remains on top of him. 

King leisurely kisses down Ram’s neck and Ram’s chest. King swipes his tongue across Ram’s nipple and blows on it causing beautiful sounds to come out of Ram’s mouth. King continues to slowly kiss Ram’s chest across to the other nipple. He looks up at Ram’s face and sees Ram watching him. King stares at Ram for a second before he put Ram’s nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it, and then sucking it. Ram moans quietly and leans his head back, closing his eyes. King continues his ministrations, kissing and nibbling Ram’s chest before going down to his abs. King licks and kisses Ram’s abs before going back up to Ram’s chest and up to Ram’s face for a kiss. King’s face hovers over Ram’s as they stare into each other’s eyes.

“How’s the headache?”, Ram asks sincerely, wanting to make sure King was okay.

“It still needs…treatment,” King responds wanting more as he leans forward to give Ram a peck on the lips. Ram smiles and flips King over gently to change their positions. They continue to kiss, lick, and suck as their hands roam each other’s bodies, their crotches continuing to rub against each other. As they continue to taste and feel each other, they roll onto their sides so they can face each other. They continue to kiss as Ram’s hand on King’s shoulder starts to slowly move down King’s arm. Ram stops kissing King when his finger gets to the top of King’s pants. He sticks his finger inside the waistband and looks at King.

“Is this okay?”, Ram asks. He didn’t want to pressure King to do more if he didn’t want to.

King swallows and then grabs Ram’s wrist. He let’s go of it and moves his hand over to Ram’s pants to stick his finger inside the waistband moving it across Ram’s abs.

“How about you? Is this okay?”, King asks.

King and Ram look into each other’s eyes and understood that they were both asking each other for consent to continue. King and Ram nod at each other. King and Ram fumble with pulling each other’s pants off, when Ram stops them.

“Hold on, P’,” Ram said as he grabs his bag behind him and looks through one of the pockets. Ram brings out a tube of lube and shows it to King. King wonders briefly why Ram would have lube in his bag but decides to ask him later. They both kick their pants off and get back to laying on their sides facing each other. King and Ram both are a bit nervous because they have never done anything like this before.

Ram gives King a look confirming that King wanted to continue and King nods having nothing to say at the moment.

Ram opens up the lube and offers some to King. King puts his hand out and Ram squeezes some lube onto it and then onto his hand.

“I’ve never done this before, but I imagine we just do what feels good?”, King asks. Ram nods.

Ram and King both bring their hands down and tentatively grab the other’s cock. King and Ram start to slowly stroke each other’s hard cocks and were amazed by how good it felt to have the other’s hand wrapped around his cock.

King moves his hand up and down Ram’s cock, sometimes rubbing the pad of his thumb on the backside of Ram’s cock right underneath the head. Ram was rotating his hand gently around as he went up and down King’s cock, sometimes rubbing his thumb across King’s head.

“It feels so good,” King admits to Ram. Ram nods in agreement.

“I’m not going to last long, Cool Boy,” King says as he leans forward to capture Ram’s lips.

“Me either,” Ram says in between kisses.

Ram briefly lets go of King’s cock and stops King’s hand. Ram lines their cocks together so he can hold both in his hand and starts stroking both of them. King latches onto Ram’s mouth. They continue to devour each other as Ram continues to stroke their cocks. The stimulation and pleasure eventually become too much for King as he starts feeling spasms running throughout his whole body and cums. Ram watches King’s face as he cums and is so turned on by what he sees, that he cums right after. As they ride out their orgasms, King and Ram’s kisses slow down and are less frantic. King and Ram touch each other’s foreheads and breathe heavily in and out. Ram looks into King’s eyes.

“Headache? Fever?”, Ram asks.

“No headache and no fever, Cool Boy,” King reports honestly. King is impressed that Ram was so slick in coming up with the idea of kissing and making out to take away his headache. He is also pretty impressed with himself for coming up with the idea of skin-to-skin contact and leading them to such a euphoric experience together.

Ram kisses King’s forehead before kissing King’s cheek. King watches Ram as he looks through his bag and finds a pack of wipes. King wonders where those came from. Ram cleans the cum off King, himself, and the floor of the tent. Then, Ram helps King put his clothes back on before putting on his own. Ram lays down and motions for King to lay in his arms. King scoots to Ram’s side of the tent and lays his head on Ram’s shoulder and wraps his arm around his boyfriend.

“Thank you, P’. Goodnight,” Ram says as he kisses the top of King’s head. He is in awe of how easy it felt to be intimate with King. King feels the same way about Ram.

“Thank you, Cool Boy. Sweet Dreams,” King responds as he looks up at Ram. Ram lowers his forehead to King’s and they close their eyes, savoring the moment. King's and Ram's noses finally touch and they slowly rub their noses together, sighing contently.

Ram and King lay serenely on Ram’s side of the tent, content with holding each other close as their breathing slows down and they drift off to sleep, both needing rest for the day ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this sounded okay. I hope that people understood what was going on and why it was so long! Sorry if there are any typos or grammatical errors. I have read it so many times that I'm done with it.
> 
> I know King and Ram may be moving a little fast, but they are adults and have been hot for each other for a while now. 
> 
> I personally enjoyed researching about kissing and skin-to-skin contact and having the boys use the info to bring them closer. I thought it worked for the story, so I used it. =)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a great weekend! Until next time...
> 
> **I did go in to change the day King returns home from his grandmother's because I didn't realize they were at camp for 3 nights.***


	19. Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ram and King wake up after a wonderful night together. They'll be starting the reforestation project and planting trees all day. Because King and Ram are part of the volunteer project committee, they have to wake up early for a committee meeting to get their assignments for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry! This week has been rough because I had to physically go back to work and then had to do overtime on Saturday. Additionally, I had rewritten this chapter 3-4 times because I wasn't happy with it. I finally settled for this but I'm satisfied. Sorry for any typos or grammatical mistakes!
> 
> Happy Reading!!

It was very early in the morning when Ram wakes up. He had noticed that the sun was already out and had checked the time on his watch. It was 6:22 am. He had turned in his sleep and his face was inches from King’s. Their arms were wrapped around each other and their legs were entwined. Ram was so glad that they ended up in the same tent so he can hold onto King all night. Ram felt so much more rested sleeping next to King. Before the night they saw Ram’s dad and Pin kissing, Ram was having dreams that his mom and Ruj had found out about his dad’s affair and that his dad had decided to walk away from his family with a faceless woman. He hated that dream because he always woke up devastated and emotionally drained. Not only was King just comfortable to cuddle with and sleep next to, King was like his dream catcher, protecting him from bad dreams and allowing good dreams to come through.

Ram had an amazing dream last night where he and King were on a date. Dream Ram and King looked a little older or more mature than they looked now. King was looking handsome in green (like a plant!) and they were walking around holding hands, just being a couple. They had been shopping and wanted to take a break. They had come across a dog café. In the dream, Ram had asked King if he wanted to go in. With little hesitation, King agreed. Apparently, in Ram’s dream, King had eventually gotten over his fear of dogs and was willing to go into a dog cafe with him. They got some drinks and sat down surrounded by all kinds of dogs and King was enjoying being there with Ram. Ram took a picture of King hugging a collie. King took a funny picture of Ram acting like he was one of the dogs, with his hands up like paws, and his tongue hanging out. They asked the workers to take a picture of them together with a Shiba Inu before they left. Afterward, Ram and King continued to walk around holding hands when they came across a bunch of booths.

The last and most favorite part of Ram’s dream was when King pushed them to go into a Karaoke Booth because King loved to sing. King put some money in and looked for a song. A song popped up on the video screen. Ram looked at the song then and at King, who offered the microphone to Ram. Ram shook his head. Ram hadn’t planned on singing.

“Don’t worry, Cool Boy! I like this song and I can sing it on my own,” King clarified.

King then encouraged Ram to put their bags on the floor and had Ram lean against one of the windows. Ram watched as King positioned himself in front of him and started serenading him. Ram couldn’t help his heart from melting in a puddle. Besides King being handsome, he had a beautiful voice, was a natural performer, and was a bit over the top, which made him just more adorable to Ram. The music started playing and King stared into Ram’s eyes before he started singing.

**_So many stories that no one will hear them_ **

**_Thousands of words that I always want to say_ **

**_No matter how long time has passed_ **

**_I assure this word to you will never change_ **

Ram gave a small smile to King, encouraging him to continue and expressing to King that he felt the same way.

**_You let me know and understand the word “together”_ **

**_Whether it’ll be hot or cold, I have no fear_ **

**_I have you, my sweetheart, inside_** (King points at Ram, his heart, then winks at Ram)

**_Who keeps me walking on from this point_ **

Ram couldn’t help but giggle to himself and shake his head at his silly boyfriend. Then, King looked down before looking up at Ram, smiling shyly and blushing a little as he sang the next set of lyrics.

**_You and me_ **

**_We’ll hold our hands forever_ **

**_We’ll get through loneliness that we once had_ **

**_When I have you, who’s so great with me_ **

Ram noticed how sincere King’s eyes were being as he sang to Ram and how King got a bit tearful as he sang the next group of lyrics.

**_More than that_ **

**_The more we know about each other_ **

**_The more we know about our love that we’re sharing_ **

**_I’ll love just you forever_ **

**_Just you and me_** (King looked at Ram earnestly, pointed at Ram and then at himself)

King continued to sing to Ram and grabbed his hand to bring Ram closer to him. King continued to sing as tears started going down his cheeks, not because he was sad, but because he was a bit overwhelmed by all the feelings he had for Ram. King loved and cared for Ram so much.

**_And from this day on everything that we hear_ **

**_Every word and sentence keeps reminding us that_ **

**_Though the road’s long, just to have you with me_ **

**_I won’t fall_ **

Ram noticed the tears and started getting teary-eyed, too. Ram wiped away some of his tears before bringing his hand up and wiping King’s tears with his thumb. Ram smiled at King, letting him know that he was there for and with King.

As King finished another verse and repeated the chorus of the song, he looked straight into Ram’s eyes, genuinely trying to express how much he felt for Ram. King had sung the song to show how happy and unbelievably lucky he was to have Ram as his boyfriend. Ram tried to express to King that he felt the same way as he brought his arm around King to pull King closer to him.

As the last notes of the song faded away, Ram and King leaned forward so their foreheads could touch, looked into each other’s eyes, still glistening from the happy tears they shed earlier and smiled at each other. Both of their eyes closed as they rubbed their noses together for a few seconds. They both leaned their heads back to get a good look at the other, smiled brightly, and leaned in again to give each other a sweet peck on the lips.

“How’d you like my singing?”, King asked Ram with a smile on his face.

“It was beautiful. Thank you,” Ram complimented King, truly touched by his performance.

“Anything for you, babe!”, King said as he pecked Ram on the cheek. Ram smiled lovingly at King as Ram grabbed the bags and King grabbed his other hand to pull him out of the Karaoke booth.

Ram and King went on their way, their hands interlocked, their arms swinging slightly front and back between them, and occasionally glancing at each other with affectionate smiles.

Ram had woken up from his wonderful dream with his heart full. Dream Ram and King were so happy and in love. He hoped that he and King could get to that point. Ever since he heard King sing with Nott, Ram kind of wished King would sing a song to him. He hadn’t known that King had such a nice voice and wouldn’t mind hearing him sing again.

Ram felt so much more rested waking up next to King than when he wakes up alone. Ram stared at King’s face and smiled to himself. He had spent so much time trying not to stare at King the last few months that it was nice just to look at King’s face. King looked peaceful as he slept but Ram would rather look into King’s teasing eyes.

**BEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEP**

**BEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEP**

**BEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEP**

King’s eyes barely open as he scoots away from Ram briefly to grab his phone to turn off his alarm. Then, King turns his body to go back to cuddle with Ram. King looked up at Ram’s smiling face with his eyebrows raised.

“What are you smiling about?”, King asked curiously. He wondered why Ram seemed to be in such a good mood. Ram shrugged.

“Come on, tell me,” King encouraged Ram. Ram looked at King and then brought his finger to his lips and tapped it a few times. King gave Ram an eye roll before scooting up a little and laying a kiss on Ram’s lips. Satisfied, Ram explained why he was in such a good mood.

“I sleep better when you are next to me and I had a really good dream last night, “Ram admitted as he ran his hand through King’s hair. King waited for Ram to continue, but he looked at Ram, who seemed to be daydreaming.

“And?”, King asked. “It must have been good if you are all zoning out thinking about it. What was it about? I’m really curious”, King inquired. When Ram didn’t say anything, King gave him puppy dog eyes and begged.

“Please?”, King asked. Ram looked at King, smiled, and nodded. Ram resumed running his fingers through King’s hair, avoiding his stitches.

Ram was a bit hesitant to share his dream because King may not be as happy about it as he was. He finally decided that honesty was the best policy. He looked down at King who had gotten on his back and was laying on Ram’s shoulder.

“I had a dream that we were shopping and took a break at a dog café. You were no longer scared of dogs and even took pictures with some,” Ram said as he looked at King to see his reaction.

King listened to Ram talk about how Dream King no longer had a fear of dogs. King noticed how Ram liked the idea of him not being afraid of dogs.

“Go on,” King encouraged Ram to continue.

“You’re not upset about me enjoying a dream where you are around dogs? You’re scared of dogs”, Ram asked. King turned his head slightly to look at Ram.

“I’m still really scared of dogs, but I’m willing to work on trying to be less scared. I know you would be willing to not be around dogs for me, but I don’t want that. We talked about this. I want to do things that you like as much as I want you to do things that I like. I know you love being around dogs. You have three of them at home! I can’t promise it’s going to be easy for me, but I’ll try my best. I want to overcome my fear of dogs, not only for you but for me, too,” King admitted.

King has been thinking about this for some time now. He has been wanting to overcome his fear of dogs for a long time but never really made any effort to try. Ram finally gave him some motivation to work on it. Ram was so touched by King wanting to face his fear.

“You don’t have to, but if you really want to try, we can work on it together,” Ram responded as he pulled King into a hug. King nodded into Ram’s neck. He looked back at Ram.

“Was that all your dream was about? That was what made you happy?”, King inquired. King noticed Ram hesitate and look away before looking back at King. He took a deep breath and explained the rest.

“The rest of the dream was about you pulling me into a Karaoke booth and you singing a song to me,” Ram admitted. King laid his head back down on Ram’s shoulder.

“What song?”, King asked. Ram started to blush a little.

“Gift by Musketeers,” Ram said.

“Nice song choice. Do you really want me to sing a song to you?”, King asked as he turned his body around so he could look directly at Ram. Ram’s eyes widened excitedly and nodded his head.

“I’ll think of a song to practice and do it for you later, okay?”, King said. Ram nodded and was pleased that King would be willing to sing for him.

“I must have sung that song well if you liked it so much,” King commented as he put his chin on Ram’s chest while looking at Ram’s face.

“We just looked so comfortable, happy, and in love. I could feel that you and I cared very deeply for each other in my dream,” Ram shared.

“Well, I think we are on our way to that, aren’t we?”, King mused. Ram nodded and pulled King up so he could capture King’s lips for a slow kiss. Eventually, the kiss ended, leading to their foreheads touching, and their noses rubbing together. They continued to look at each other until King realized that his alarm had already gone off and that they needed to head out. King looked at his watch and sat up abruptly.

“Cool Boy! We got to get going. We have a meeting in 10 minutes!”, King said. The Volunteer Camp committee members were supposed to meet Tee to help set up for the tree planting. King and Ram both had to get their assignments. King and Ram got their stuff and rushed to the restrooms to brush their teeth and perform ablutions. They then came back to their tent to put their stuff away. When they were changed and ready to go, King was about to unzip the tent, when Ram stopped him.

“P’King,” Ram said, and King turned around. Ram looked at him.

“Your head? Did you take your meds?”, Ram asked concerned.

“My head is okay, and I took my meds. I’ll put my meds in my pocket. Just in case. Don’t worry, Cool Boy! I have things under control,” King said. Ram nodded.

“As I said, I’ll watch from afar, but if I need to intervene, I will,” Ram informed King. King stepped up to Ram and gave him a hug and a peck on the lips.

“Okay. Not to worry. Let’s go, Cool Boy!,” King said before unzipping the tent. Ram and King both stepped out of the tent, zipped it up, and put their shoes on. Ram followed King to the other side of camp for their meeting.

*****************

King and Ram arrived at the edge of camp where they met Tee and the rest of King’s friends, some other seniors, and the rest of the volunteer camp committee. As everyone got settled, Tee started the meeting.

“Okay, everyone. Thanks for making it to the meeting on time. As you can see, behind me is all the things we need to bring over to the tree planting site.” Ram looked behind Tee and noticed that there was a truck partly packed with tools and another truck partly packed with boxes of tree saplings in the cargo beds. There were also field hoes, shovels, and other tools laying on the ground. There were also more boxes of tree saplings, spools of string and stakes.

“Our goal is to plant 2000 trees today. We will be waking up the volunteers in about an hour, so we have some time. Luckily we have these trucks to get the heavy stuff to and from the tree site. We have most of the day to work on getting all this stuff to the tree planting site so there is no rush to get everything over there right at this moment, but we want to try to get as much over there so we don’t have to worry about it later,” Tee informed the group.

“I’m going to need three groups. I need one team that can transport and distribute the tree saplings and stakes at the tree planting site. I also need a team that can transport and distribute the field hoes, shovels, other tools. I also need one small team to start cutting string for tying the trees. Do I have any seniors who would be willing to lead the teams?

“I can lead the string cutting team!,” Boss volunteered. King shook his head. He figured that Boss would pick the one job where he didn’t have to lift anything. Tee handed him the box filled with spools of string and scissors and gave him instructions.

“Can 3-4 people assist Boss with cutting string?”, Tee asked. A few people stood up and followed Boss to a table.

A female senior near the back of the group alerted Tee.

“Hey, Tee! I can lead the transport and distribution of the trees. I just need some strong people to help me”, said a pretty girl who strutted up to the front of the group with a blue tank top and short denim shorts with a button-down shirt tied around her waist.

The girl’s name was Aranya, her Thai name meaning “bountiful forest” and signifying fertility and abundance. It would have been a touching gesture for her to want to plant trees due to her name, but that was not the case. Aranya was in King’s year and was a major flirt. She often had guys around her doing things for her. It may also be due to her being “abundant” in the chest area and she was well aware of it. There were plenty of times that King had to tell her to get them out of his face. She was constantly flirting with Bohn and trying to get him to ask her on a date. Despite her being a bit pushy, King thought she was okay as a peer.

“Are there a few strong men who can help me?,” Aranya asked the group. Bohn and King looked at each other and rolled their eyes. They watched as a few guys immediately raised their hands and stood up to stand near Aranya. King watched as Aranya scoped the rest of the group and knew immediately when she found Ram. Ram was just sitting there waiting for instruction, looking handsome in pants, a white shirt, and a green button-down. King could tell that Aranya was checking out Ram. King watched with distaste as Aranya pointed at Ram.

“Nong, I think I’m going to need your help. Can you join my team?”, Aranya asked Ram.

Ram didn’t care what team he was in. He kind of wished he was in King’s team, but he knew King wanted space and to hang with his friends, so he stood up and wai’d Aranya as he walked over to her.

“What’s your name, Nong?”, Aranya asked as she touched Ram’s bicep and continued to look at Ram up and down like he was a popsicle she wanted to lick. King watched the whole scene with his arms crossed and his mouth set in a grim line.

“Are you okay?”, Bohn asked King. Bohn had noticed King get serious all of a sudden. King looked at Bohn briefly and nodded before turning his head back to Aranya and Ram. Although he was cool with Aranya, he knew that Aranya could be persistent and annoyingly handsy. Bohn shook his head at how obvious King was being.

Aranya noticed that Ram’s biceps were solid as she waited for a response. Ram was used to people trying to touch him and flirt, but it didn’t make it any less uncomfortable for him. Ram could see King out the corner of his eye and King did not look happy. Tee noticed the scene also and didn’t like it either.

Tee intervened, “His name is Ram. He’s my line code. Stop looking at him like he’s a piece of meat. Start loading up the truck!” Ram stepped away from Aranya relieved and hurriedly walked towards the boxes of tree saplings and picked one up easily. He put the box in the back of the truck and grabbed another box. Tee stopped Aranya to give her a map of the tree planting site and where the distribution areas were as well as for instructions for set up. When Tee was satisfied that Aranya’s group was loading their truck, he looked at his friends.

“King and Bohn, can you guys take charge of the tools? It shouldn’t take as long as transporting the plants. You can finish loading the tools in the other truck, “Tee asked his friends as he handed them the map of the tree planting site and instructions for setting up.

“Sure,” King responded. He, Bohn, and the rest of their team started filling up the truck with tools. He noticed that Aranya and her team only filled the other truck partially full to bring some of the team to the tree planting site to set up the tree distribution. Ram was about to jump into the back of the truck when Aranya grabbed his arm and pulled him to the front of the truck into the passenger seat. Aranya got into the driver’s side. King watched as Aranya drove the truck towards the tree planting site. King sighed and got back to putting more tools into the truck’s cargo bed.

*************

Aranya had told her team to partially pack up the truck so all the guys could ride over to the tree planting site. Aranya was going to leave some of the guys behind to start setting up tree distribution areas and then bring the rest to go back with her to pick up more tree saplings.

When they were ready to leave, Ram had attempted to get in the back of the truck but Aranya grabbed his arm and dragged him to the passenger seat. He didn’t want to argue, so he went in. It was going to be a short drive from camp anyway. Aranya got in and started the truck.

“Everyone ready?,” Aranya asked the guys in the back who gave her thumbs up.

Let’s go!”, Aranya shifted the gear to drive and started going along the dirt road to the tree planting site. She also started to try to make a conversation with Ram.

“So, Nong Ram, you’re a first-year, right?”, Aranya asked Ram. Ram nodded politely.

“Tell me about yourself, “Aranya encouraged Ram. Ram looked at Aranya and shrugged.

“Not a talker, huh? Well, that’s okay, I can talk for the both of us,” Aranya said.

“I’m a second year. My favorite color is pink. I like hiking but I also like hanging out at home. I don’t mind staying home to watch Netflix and chill,” Aranya said flirtatiously to Ram, looking at him pointedly.

Ram tensed and looked out the window. Aranya touched Ram’s knee. Ram flinched away from her and Ram looked at her.

“I was just kidding, Nong Ram! I do really like watching Netflix and chilling out at home. I’m not like that,” Aranya informed Ram as she flipped her hair.

“Not opposed to it if it’s with you, though,” Aranya said under her breath. Ram turned his head and looked at Aranya shocked.

“I’m kidding again, Nong Ram,” Aranya said to him as she giggled and slapped his arm. Ram was concerned that the senior was going to continue to hit on him. She kept on talking and touching his arm or leg and he was doing all he could to not flinch. He took his phone out and texted King.

 **Ram:** HELP!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of the dog cafe in the dream sequence was taken from Perth and Talay's One Day vlog here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2z0ieU1NF8&t=742s 
> 
> Credit is given to Musketeers for their song, Gift. English Translation was used from the video here,  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSlgQRhC5QI&t=7s. 
> 
> I actually switched the song multiple times and debated using the one I actually used. I actually like the cover that Krist and Singto do of the song and had been listening to it multiple times a day to increase their views. I think it was a pretty good choice for the dream sequence. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA8ks5cMbvg
> 
> Anyway, I'm really hoping that I get more chapters out soon to you all! Please be patient with me!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Take care!


	20. A King Commands His Authority

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King receives Ram's text for help. The two teams work to get the tools and tree saplings to the tree planting site. Things escalate as the team leaders have conversations and confrontations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so bring some snacks and some drinks for this chapter because it is about 6000 words. Sorry! I was going to split it into two, but then changed my mind because a lot going on and it felt disjointed in two chapters! 
> 
> Happy Reading, hopefully!

King and Bohn’s team were trying to get all the tools in the truck’s cargo bed, so they only had to make one trip to the tree planting site. King was observing Bohn and he appeared to be quieter than usual

“Are you okay?”, King asked Bohn. Something was going on. King suspected it may be related to Duen. Bohn changed up the sleeping arrangements by sleeping in Tee’s tent last night. That was weird because all that Bohn talked about the past week was sleeping with Duen in the same tent.

“Everything is fine. Don’t worry. I’m just thinking,” Bohn said.

“Don’t hurt yourself, buddy,” King responded, and it got a laugh out of Bohn. King knew that Bohn needed time. He would eventually talk to King about whatever was bothering him.

They were able to get all the tools and the rest of their team in the back of the truck. King allowed Bohn to drive as he took the passenger seat. King wondered if Ram was doing okay. Aranya was a very talkative, sociable, and confident girl. Most guys would fall for her flirting easily. She was the type that would get more aggressive with a guy who was not falling for her advances. That was what he was worried about. He didn’t think Ram would respond to her at all.

King then got a notification and took out his phone. He got a text message from Ram.

**My Cool Boy** : HELP!

King’s eyes grew large as he realized that Ram needed help with Aranya. He responded immediately.

**King** : I’m on my way!

King was upset with himself. He had hoped that Aranya would not cause any trouble. As soon as she saw Ram, she had set her eyes on him like he was a prize to be won. It’s not going to happen, lady, not if King could help it. Ram had told King that he would intervene if he needed to. This was one instance where King felt like he needed to intervene for Ram. King was not going to let some girl harass his boyfriend.

**************

Ram got a notification and checked his phone. He got a text from King.

**MY KING** : I’m on my way!

Ram was relieved briefly but couldn’t respond because he was trying to avoid Aranya’s advances. She kept on trying to put her hand on his knee and was starting to move her hand up his thigh. When they finally got to the tree planting site, Ram jumped out of the truck before Aranya put the truck in Park to be around the other guys. Aranya instructed everyone to put half the boxes in the distribution area close to the truck and another distribution area halfway across the tree planting site since it was so large. She explained that it would make it easier to grab tree saplings as they made progress filling the site with trees.

Ram picked up two boxes and walked to the site that was furthest from the truck to get as far away from Aranya as possible. He got to the second distribution site in no time and put the boxes down. Ram started sweating so he took off his button-down shirt and tied it around his waist. Ram walked back to the truck hoping that Aranya was occupied so he would not interact with her.

Ram honestly didn’t need help with dealing with Aranya. He thought about things he could do to avoid being alone with her like being around the other guys or making excuses to go somewhere else, but he also felt like she could try to manipulate him or accuse him of doing something that he didn't do. Ram didn't like being in this type of situation at all.

Ram felt it was important to let King know that he was in a bit of distress because of Aranya. He didn't want King to hear something from someone else or misinterpret the situation. He wanted to make sure that King was fully aware of the situation so they could figure out how to handle it together. He just hoped that Aranya wouldn’t do anything extreme.

*******************

Bohn finally parked the truck at the tree planting site next to the other truck. Everyone hopped out and started taking the tools out of the truck and bringing them to the distribution area near the tree saplings. King looked around to see if he could find Ram or Aranya. When he couldn’t see either of them, he unloaded some of the tools from the cargo bed and brought them to the distribution area. King figured they would show up eventually.

**************

King and the rest of his team were almost done getting all the tools out of the cargo bed when King caught sight of Aranya giving instructions to one of the other guys on her team. He went up to her.

“Aranya, do you have a lot of boxes left over? We can go help your team bring some more boxes back here because we got all of our tools here in one trip,” King informed her.

“That would be great, King! I’ll have one of the guys go ride with you as soon as you empty your truck,” Aryana said.

“Okay, great!”, King said. King went back to helping the rest of his team. King asked Bohn if he could help with setting up the tools while he helps Aranya grab more boxes of tree saplings.

“What? Why are you helping her?”, Bohn asked King as they both watched Ram try to avoid interacting with Aranya. Ram had walked back from the other distribution area and noticed Aranya standing near one side of the truck. Ram walked towards the other side of the truck and quickly grabbed a box and walked away before Aranya noticed him.

King answered, “We’re done with the truck anyway. This will make it faster to get everything back to the tree planting site so they don’t have to make as many trips.” King turned and noticed that Aranya finally discovered Ram was back and was walking towards him. Bohn noticed it also.

“You’re trying to protect Nong Ram, aren’t you?”, Bohn said to King with a smirk as he and the rest of their team got the last of the tools out of the truck.

“No, I’m not. They need help!”, King denied as Bohn handed the keys over to him.

“Whatever! I’ll take care of setting up here. Go take care of Nong Ram. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes either. Get him away from her,” Bohn said as he pointedly looked in Ram’s direction. King turned around and saw that Ram was trapped. Ram was holding a box and Aranya was trying to flirt with him. She had one hand on Ram’s shoulder while she leaned her huge chest on his arm. Ram looked panicked. King saw red.

************

Ram thought that he had avoided Aranya after he had picked up another box and started walking towards the distribution area, but then felt someone run up to him and touch his back. Ram couldn’t do anything since he was holding a box.

“Nong Ram, where did you go off to? I couldn’t find you,” Aranya said as she moved her hand up his back to his shoulder and got into Ram’s personal space. Ram didn’t respond. He was trying to figure out a way to get away from her and showed her the box he was carrying. She leaned her body forward so her chest was rubbing against his arm.

“Still shy? I like the strong and silent type,” Aranya said sweetly while her hand moved to Ram’s bicep. She looked at Ram’s face and neck and noticed they were glistening with sweat. Ram was sweating, not because he was hot, but because he was anxious. This girl was freaking him out! She kept touching him inappropriately and he didn’t want her chest touching him. If he could, he would push her away, but he couldn’t do that to a girl.

“Oh, you’re sweating. Let me wipe you down, “Aranya said as she took out a handkerchief and was bringing her hand up to his face. Ram’s eyes were widening in terror as he tried to back away from her. Ram didn’t want her touching him anymore!

As King was walking towards Aranya and Ram, he watched as Aranya was about to wipe Ram’s face with a handkerchief. Oh, hell no!

“Aranya!,” King yelled loudly startling Aranya and Ram. Aranya turned around and Ram quickly went off to put the box in the distribution area. He sighed in relief and was happy that King showed up. King watched Ram walk to the distribution area and put the box down.

“King! Can’t you see that I’m busy right now?,” Aranya responded. She turned around and Ram was gone. She turned back to King and scowled at him for interrupting her. He scowled back.

“What are you busy doing? Leave the juniors alone. You’re making them feel uncomfortable. We unloaded our tools. I’m going to head back to get more tree saplings,” King informed Aranya as he saw Ram move closer to his location.

“Okay but let me have one of my team go with you,” Aranya said annoyed. She was about to call one of the other guys on her team when King cut her off by walking past her and grabbing Ram’s arm, pulling Ram to go with him. She lunged at Ram’s other arm and hugged it with her body, stopping King and Ram in their tracks. Ram froze because he didn’t want to make any unnecessary movements. King turned to look at Aranya and then at her hugging tightly on Ram’s arm, pulling it flush to her chest. Aranya was getting on King’s last nerve. He ran his other hand through his hair. Aranya looked at King with determination.

“Nong Ram is not going with you. He’s staying with me. Take Nong Lue with you,” Aranya told King. King looked at Aranya for a few seconds. When she didn’t budge, he sighed as if in defeat.

“Where is Nong Lue?”, King asked Aranya calmly while looking for the team member. Ram turned his head and looked at King anxiously. Ram wasn’t sure what was going on. King seemed calm, almost too calm. Would King leave him with Aranya?

Aranya, who thought she was going to get her way, loosened her grip on Ram’s arm and looked around for Nong Lue. As she did so, King pulled Ram behind him so he was a barrier between Ram and Aranya. King then made it clear to her by shielding Ram with his body.

“Aranya, there is no way Nong Ram is staying with you. He will be going with me and that’s final,” King stated vehemently to Aranya as he stared her down. Ram was in awe of King right now. He’s never seen this authoritative side of King before and it was making Ram feel a bit warm and tingly.

“Let’s go, Cool Boy!”, King commanded Ram as he turned around abruptly pulling Ram with him towards the truck. Ram shrugged at Aranya with a small smile and waved goodbye to her as he followed King like a lost puppy who found his master.

Aranya watched dumbstruck at the turn of events before one of the guys on the team asked what he was supposed to do next. She shook her head and started yelling out instructions.

************

King loosened his hold of Ram as he got closer to the truck. Ram got into the passenger side while King got into the driver’s side. King started up the truck and started driving down the dirt road. He took a few deep breaths to calm down. He turned his head to look at Ram.

“Are you okay?", King asked Ram, concerned for his welfare. King thought that it must have been bad if Ram had to ask him for help.

“I am now. Thanks, ” Ram said relieved that he was away from Aranya’s pawing. Ram didn’t know what he would have done if he had to spend any more time with Aranya. He was touched at how King came to his rescue.

“Was it that bad? What did she do?”, King asked. King knew that Aranya hit on guys all the time, but he didn’t know how far she would go. Ram let out a breath and started talking.

“She kept talking about herself. She would hit my arm whenever she thought she said something witty. She put her hand on my knee and started moving it up my thigh. You saw her put her chest on my arm,” Ram informed King. Ram got chills just thinking about how creepy Aranya was.

“I’m assuming that you just stayed quiet, you didn’t respond to her, and she kept on coming onto you,” King figured out. Ram nodded.

King grabbed Ram’s hand, interlocked their fingers, and brought Ram’s hand up to his lips so he can kiss the back of his hand. King hated that Ram had to deal with that.

King wondered out loud, “Why did you agree to join her team when she asked you? You could have said no.” Ram could have easily joined his team with Bohn. King took a glance at Ram and noticed Ram’s head was down. Ram finally answered after he pondered the question.

“I didn’t know who she was. I just figured she was just another senior. I knew you wanted space and that you wanted to hang out with your friends. I didn’t want you to get mad at me for wanting to be on your team,” Ram admitted. Ram wanted to respect what King wanted. King looked at Ram and sighed.

“It would have been okay that you were on my team. You could have just talked to me about it. It would have been a better option than being on her team." King's thumb rubbed Ram's hand for comfort.

"I’m sorry. I should have stepped in as soon as I saw her eyeing you. Aranya tends to aim for very handsome, sexy guys,” King admitted. He looked over at Ram who had one eyebrow raised, a wrinkled nose, and a crease between his eyebrows, looking confused. King let go of Ram’s hand and ran his thumb between Ram’s eyebrows to massage away the crease.

“Why are you looking at me like you are confused?“, King asked as he looked at Ram before looking back at the road. King didn’t understand why Ram seemed confused by King implying that he was handsome and sexy. Look at him! He’s so hot! Ram was even hotter naked and on top of him. King shook his head. He had to focus.

“I just don’t think of myself as sexy”, Ram admitted. Ram was aware that people think that he is handsome. People have been telling him that practically his whole life, likely because of him being half-Thai and half-Caucasian, and having a unique and mysterious appearance. Ram just thought of himself as Ram.

“Cool Boy, are you kidding me? You exude sexiness,” King responded to Ram’s lack of awareness as they arrived back at camp, King backed the truck up to make it easier to drive back to the tree planting site. King thought the fact that Ram was not aware of his sexiness made Ram even sexier.

“How?”, Ram asked as he took his button-down off his waist and left it on the passenger seat. As he got out of the truck, Ram was having a hard time believing what King was saying. Tee saw them and interrupted their conversation.

“You guys are back to pick up more boxes of saplings?”, Tee asked. Ram nodded as he started to pick up a box of saplings. Tee continued, “Nong, weren’t you with Aranya? Why are you here with King?”

“Don’t ask!”, King responded before Ram could answer. “We’ll just fill up the truck with as many boxes as possible and leave to avoid bumping into Aranya before she gets here to pick up the rest,” King suggested.

“Aranya strikes again?,” Tee asked. King nodded. Tee shook his head. That girl is going to get herself in trouble one day. She needs to tone down how she approaches guys. Someone might take it the wrong way and become a bad or unsafe situation for her.

King and Ram worked as a team to get as many boxes onto their truck as possible. As soon as the cargo bed was full, King and Ram hopped back into the truck just as Aranya was pulling in. She looked like she was trying to get out before King and Ram left, but King was faster, started the truck, and drove off with a spluttering Aranya being left in the dust.

*****************

“That was close!”, King said relieved. He knew Aranya would be trying to swap Ram so he would be with her. Ram felt relieved also.

“So, you don’t think you’re sexy?”, King continued their conversation from earlier. Ram shrugged. “I can prove it to you,” King affirmed.

“There are a lot of reasons why you are sexy. I’ll start with physical characteristics. You have beautiful eyes. They are eyes that make you want to look into them and tell you things. They are like windows to your soul. You have a nice body. You have strong arms, and abs, you keep your body in good shape. You are always well-groomed and take good care of yourself. You look good in everything and anything. When you do smile, it’s like you brighten up the world. You also have a nice voice, when you talk,” King shared. Ram started to smile as he looked at King.

“Other sexy characteristics that you have is you being confident and self-assured. You know what you want and how to get it. You are mature and understand what is important, like your family, your education, and your dogs. You also understand your priorities as well as try to balance everything that you have on your plate. You respect and care for other people. You are also honest and trustworthy. All these things make you sexy, at least to me” King reported. He hoped that Ram would understand now. Ram was smiling from ear to ear. His King was so sexy himself.

“So, you think I'm sexy? Am I sexy enough for you? ,” Ram wondered.

King looked at Ram in amazement. If last night was anything to go on, Ram was sexy enough for him. More than enough.

“Of course you are! You are definitely sexy to me. Am I sexy to you?”, King asked. Ram looked at King seriously and nodded.

Ram added, “Very sexy.” King rolled his eyes.

“You don’t think you're sexy either?”, Ram asked. King shrugged.

Ram scooted a little closer to King and took King’s hand in his. Ram informed King, “There are a lot of things that make you sexy. You're smart, caring, honest, passionate, and charming. You have a great voice and speak so eloquently that I can listen to you all day. You have great hair that frames your face. You have a nice body and definitely, a nice ass that I think are sexy. You have beautiful eyes that I can get lost in and you are one of the most handsome guys I’ve ever seen. Those things make you sexy.” King nodded. He wasn’t so sure, but if Ram said so.

“I also realized today that you are very sexy when you command authority,” Ram added as he leaned in to kiss King behind his ear and along his neck.

King smirked at Ram and asked, “You like it when I get bossy? When I take charge?”

Ram continued to kiss King’s neck and nodded.

"Noted”, King said quietly as he relished Ram’s kisses. King squeezed Ram’s hand. Ram looked at King and King smiled. Ram smiled back. Ram looked around and noticed they were close to the tree planting site.

“P’King,” Ram called. King turned his head to look in Ram’s direction and Ram stole a kiss from King, startling him for a second before he looked at Ram fondly and shook his head.

****************

King parked the truck at the tree planting site and they both got out. The other two of Ram’s team who were left behind on-site came to help Ram and King empty the truck. King and Ram both grabbed a box and one of the guys on Ram’s team told him to take the boxes to the distribution area at the other end of the site. King and Ram walked towards the distribution area, boxes in hand.

“Is there anything else that happened with Aranya that I should know about?”, King asked as they walked. Ram hesitated. King noticed.

“What is it?”, King asked curiously. King wondered what else Aranya could have done.

Ram disclosed, “She also told me she didn’t mind staying home to watch Netflix and chill and said she wasn’t opposed to it if it was with me.”

“What?!”, King was appalled by the nerve of that girl. She practically propositioned Ram after just meeting him. They put the boxes down at the distribution area and started walking back to the truck.

“King!”, Aranya yelled as she started walking towards King and Ram. King noticed that Tee had hitched a ride with Aranya to the tree planting site. He and Bohn were following her towards them. Tee was there to check if everything was set up okay but is now having to deal with his team leaders fighting over his line code mentee.

King and Ram continued to walk side by side until they got closer to Aranya. That’s when King stood in front of Ram as Aranya stormed up to King.

“King! Nong Ram is on my team. He needs to come with me!”, Aranya demanded.

“Why does he need to go with you? The tree saplings are pretty much in the distribution areas ready for the volunteers to plant. Everything is set up. You don’t need him anymore,” King pointed out.

“Well, um, I need him to, um, help pass out the tree saplings,” Aranya tried to explain. King looked at her as if she was stupid.

“Aranya, the volunteers can grab the tools and saplings on their own. You don’t need your team to pass them out”, King reasoned.

“I don’t care. I want Nong Ram!”, Aranya screamed and stomped her foot.

King held his ground. He stood tall in front of Ram with his arms crossed.

“He doesn’t want to go with you”, King told her confidently.

“How do you know? He doesn’t even talk. Let’s ask him. He will definitely want to go back to my team. How can he resist this?”, Aranya said as she gestured towards her body. Bohn and Tee looked at each other and shook their heads. Aranya had no idea that she was fighting a losing battle. She pulled King’s shirt and pulled him over to her and faced Ram.

“Nong, which team leader would you rather be under? Me or him?”, Aranya asked as she pointed at herself and then at King.

Aranya stood there, batting her eyes, and trying to stand in a cute pose whereas King stood there confidently with his arms crossed looking at Ram with smoldering eyes.

“Hot”, Ram said under his breath. Ram was completely certain about who he wanted to be under.

Aranya heard Ram say that he thought one of them was hot and immediately thought it was towards her. She looked at King confidently and laughed at him.

King heard Ram, too. King wouldn’t mind having Ram under him either. He shook his head at Aranya for laughing at him and waited for Ram’s response.

Bohn and Tee, who were watching the whole scene, were fully aware that Aranya may explode after Ram’s response. They were there just in case the situation escalated.

Aranya and King looked at Ram. Ram looked at them both and slowly brought his hand up and pointed his finger at King. Aranya’s jaw dropped with Ram’s answer and felt completely humiliated.

King smirked at Aranya and then turned to Ram to say, “Let’s go, Cool Boy!” King started walking towards the truck with Ram obediently following him. King touched his head. He was starting to get a headache.

*************

Aranya was furious. This situation would not have happened if King had not intervened and embarrassed her in front of the others. Aranya felt the anger build until she had no control over her actions.

King was walking with Ram a few feet behind him when Ram saw someone rushing from his side towards King. Aranya was going after King!

“P’King!”, Ram yelled. King turned to see that Aranya was rushing at him. He braced himself for the impact and squeezed his eyes shut.

There was no way Ram would let Aranya hurt his already injured King. Ram responded quickly by quickly blocking Aranya’s path and planting his feet. Aranya couldn’t slow down quick enough before she slammed into Ram like he was a brick wall. Bohn and Tee would describe it later like Ram had set a hard screen in an NBA basketball game. Aranya ended up falling backward stunned. She looked up at a pissed off Ram.

“Stay away from me and stay away from my P’!”, Ram told her incensed. King opened his eyes to see Aranya on the ground and Ram standing over her. King grabbed Ram’s arm and pulled him away from the scene, reassuring Ram that he was okay.

***************

Bohn and Tee witnessed the whole thing. Aranya stood there fuming for a minute, then all of a sudden she tried to run around Ram to try to push King hard to get him back for messing up her plans and embarrassing her. When she slammed into Ram, Ram didn’t even flinch or budge and she couldn’t go anywhere but down.

Bohn and Tee caught up to where they were at, helped Aranya up, and asked if she was okay. She nodded her head and noticed that her other team members were coming to see if she was okay. Her male team members had asked her if she needed some help and she nodded. Aranya told them she couldn’t walk and needed help. Bohn and Tee rolled their eyes and left Aranya with her team, who were more than willing to cater to her whims.

*****************************

Ram and King waited at the truck for Tee and Bohn. Ram was silent and was still mad. Ram was having a hard time calming down. King knew that touching Ram would calm him down but there were people around. Luckily, Tee had a task for them to do.

“King, Nong. Can you guys bring the truck back to the Volunteer Camp Building at the entrance near the parking area? Just park it in front of the building and give the keys to the front office secretary. They need the truck back. I’m going to keep some people here at this site and bring the rest back to camp to start waking up the rest of the volunteers so we can start planting. We’ll meet you back at camp for Orientation in about 30 minutes.

King pulled at Ram’s sleeve and Ram silently walked to the passenger side of the truck. King waved at Tee and Bohn, then got into the driver’s side. King started the truck and drove off.

********************

Tee talked to Bohn, Aranya, and their teams about waking up the volunteers and bringing them over to the tree planting site. Aranya volunteered her team to stay behind to watch over their tools and saplings and to finish up any loose ends. Since things were practically done, she had her team at her beck and call while she got to sit under a shady tree. Tee, Bohn, and his team hopped into the truck and cargo bed and headed back to camp.

********************

King had been making sideways glances at Ram since they left the tree planting site. Ram was staring out the window and had been silent for a few minutes. Ram was upset at himself. If he hadn’t texted King, none of this would have happened. He could have dealt with Aranya on his own and she would not have tried to harm King. King knew exactly what Ram was thinking.

“Cool Boy! It’s okay. I’m okay. Please don’t blame yourself for what happened today, “King reassured Ram.

Ram kept looking out the window and feeling bad. King decided to use another tactic.

“Cool Boy! If anyone was to blame, it was me. I taunted her and humiliated her. I should have seen it coming. She’s a girl who usually gets what she wants and she thought I kept her from what she wanted. You. ,” King concluded.

“She couldn’t get me if she wanted to. I’m so far gone for one of my seniors. She had no chance, “Ram finally said as he looked at King.

“Well, your senior was not going to let her get away with touching what’s his, “King added. “I didn’t like her touching you.”

“Well, I didn’t like her trying to attack you either,” Ram said.

“She didn’t. You stopped her,” King said as he glanced over at Ram.

“It’s because I protect what’s mine,” Ram said as he looked at King. King shifted in his chair due to feeling suddenly warm and tingly near his abdomen.

King looked back at Ram then at the road then said, “I protect what’s mine also,” King stated.

“We protect each other,” King and Ram said at the same time.

“Jinx!”, King said immediately after and smiled at Ram briefly before looking back at the road. Ram smiled back at him, then leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek. King noticed that they were passing camp and were getting close to the entrance near the parking area.

********************

They finally got to the Volunteer Camp Building to drop off the truck. King ran in to give the keys to the front desk and then he and Ram started walking the path towards camp. Ram was still not saying anything. King wondered if he forgot to unjinx Ram.

“Cool Boy! You can talk now. I unjinxed you,” King said but got no response. Ram was still thinking about Aranya and how she could have hurt King. King watched Ram as he continued walking. King got an idea.

“Ram! Stop!”, King called out. Ram stopped immediately to King’s command. Ram had never heard King call him by his actual name before. Ram started getting the warm and tingly feeling in his abdomen area again.

“Come here!”, King commanded Ram who obeyed and went straight to him. King grabbed Ram’s wrist and pulled him away from the path into the trees. Ram wasn’t sure where King was taking him but he didn’t mind that King was taking charge.

When King thought they were far away from the path where nobody could see them, King pushed Ram hard against one of the trees, his hands holding Ram’s shoulders in place. King stared into Ram’s face and Ram stared into his. King needed some treatment for the slight headache he had.

“Kiss me!”, King said with authority. Ram couldn’t help but lunge forward to obey King’s command, his lips meeting King’s lips while putting his arms around King’s torso, pulling King flush against his body. King brought his hands to Ram’s face as he tilted his head and opened his mouth so he could invade Ram’s mouth with his tongue. Ram and King moved their hands all over each other’s bodies, sometimes wrapping their arms around each other, other times touching each other’s face, neck, and hair.

They continued to kiss for a few minutes when King started to slow the kisses down. He leaned his forehead onto Ram’s forehead.

“Mine”, King whispered as he looked into Ram’s eyes.

Ram responded, “Yours.”

Ram leaned back and looked at King. Ram grabbed King’s face with both hands and kissed all over King’s face, on his forehead, eyes, eyebrows, cheeks, lips, chin, and lastly on King’s nose.

“Mine”, Ram whispered.

King responded as he grabbed Ram’s hands in his, “All yours.”

Ram leaned forward and slowly nibbled and kissed King’s neck and along his jawline until he got to King’s lips. King’s eyes closed as Ram slowly kissed King lightly on one side of his mouth and then tilted his head and slowly kissed King lightly on the other side of his mouth. He then put his lips gently on King’s, slowly increasing the pressure and then drew his lips away, keeping his lips close to King’s lips but not touching. Ram opened his lips slightly as King moved forward to capture Ram’s lips. Ram moved his arms up and down King’s back until he was able to move his hands onto King’s ass and caress it. King moaned as he opened his mouth to explore Ram’s lips and tongue with the tip of his own. King ran his hands down Ram’s chest to the bottom of Ram’s shirt, then stuck his hands inside of it. King gently moved his hands across Ram’s abs, then up to his chest. King then lightly caressed Ram’s nipples causing Ram to squeeze King’s ass and pull King closer and making King and Ram’s erections rub against each other, heightening their arousal. They continued to kiss each other passionately until they overheard an announcement from a megaphone.

“Everyone wake up, brush your teeth, get in line, and get ready to plant some trees!”

King and Ram stopped kissing and were out of breath from their activity as they continued to hold each other. King leaned his forehead to Ram’s and looked at him with questioning eyes.

“Later...?,” King asked as Ram asked, “Tonight?”, simultaneously. They both giggled for being on the same page and were hopeful that they may be able to continue later on.

King and Ram both nodded slightly then sealed the deal with a sweet kiss on the lips. As they broke the kiss, King pulled back to look at Ram.

“We will be planting trees for the rest of the day. I may not get to interact with you as much, but if something is bothering you, please just find me and tell me. I don’t want you to assume that I’ll get upset because I’m with my friends, but I also want you to have fun with your friends and understand the importance of planting trees, ”King urged Ram. Ram nodded.

“Okay, P’, I will if you promise me you will tell me if you need help with your head,” Ram countered.

“Which one?” King asked jokingly, moving his eyebrows up and down sexily as Ram shook his head and smiled at his silly King.

“I’m joking. I’m joking. Of course, I will tell you if I need help with my head,” King said earnestly as he pointed to the top of his head and laughed.

“Promises, Promises,” Ram teased, but then his face got serious.

“Seriously, P’, if you are hurting or not feeling well, please find me so I can help you. You’ve been in danger multiple times since we got to camp, I just want to make sure you are okay. I do hope you have fun with your friends, too, “Ram countered. King nodded and smiled at Ram.

King and Ram then moved forward as the tip of King’s nose touched the tip of Ram’s nose. Their eyes closed as they slowly shook their heads from side to side, rubbing their nose gently back and forth. They both opened their eyes and leaned their heads back slightly to smile happily to each other. King then leaned forward to kiss the tip of Ram’s nose, making Ram look at King like he hung the moon. Ram then embraced King in a warm hug and kissed the top of King’s head affectionately. King stepped out of the hug and ran his hand through his hair.

“We gotta get back or Tee is going to be pissed”, King stated. Ram nodded in agreement.

Ram and King leaned in for one last Eskimo kiss and a kiss on the lips before finding their way out of the forest, back onto the path towards camp and a long day full of tree planting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it turned out okay as one long chapter!
> 
> I honestly can't believe that this chapter occurred the hour or so before they even wake up the rest of the volunteers! I feel like this is an episode of 24, the TV series. LOL
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	21. Replanting May Revive A Fallen Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram arrive back to camp to find that everyone is up and getting ready for the Tree Planting Orientation. Announcements are made and instructions are given, but Ram is bothered by numerous things during Orientation. King notices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize again for the long wait for the chapter. I'm back going into work full time and I started this fic while I was stuck working from home. I'm trying to manage to do both. I'm sorry! 
> 
> Warning: This chapter is dialogue-heavy and long.
> 
> Happy Reading!

King and Ram walked along the path towards camp and noticed volunteers were awake and walking to and from the restrooms and getting ready.

Because King and Ram were on the committee and had been up earlier to help set up, they walked toward the meeting area for the Tree Planting Orientation that Tee had planned.

“Cool Boy! I’ll see you later!”, King said to Ram. Ram nodded.

“Be careful, P’. Find me if you need anything, okay?”, Ram countered. King sighed, closed his eyes briefly, and nodded. King waved at Ram before walking off toward the front of the meeting area to find Tee. Ram checked in with the other committee members and was told they didn’t need any help, so he got breakfast and went to find his friends.

***************

King found Tee and Bohn near the front of the meeting area putting some posters on an easel for the volunteers to see.

“Hey, did things go okay after Ram and I left?”, King asked. Tee and Bohn both turned around and looked at King.

“Shouldn’t we be asking if you and Ram are okay? I can’t believe Aranya,” Tee said, looking at an unfazed King.

“I’m fine and Cool Boy is fine!”, King responded nonchalantly. King noticed that Ram was with Tang and his other friends before looking back to his own.

“What happened with Aranya?”, King asked. King was worried she might have made a complaint against Ram.

“Aranya is fine. She didn’t say anything. Don’t worry. She stayed behind at the tree planting site with her team pampering her because she is “hurt” and can’t do anything,” Bohn added, rolling his eyes. King hoped that she learned her lesson and was done messing with him and Ram.

“Are you ready?,“ Tee asked as he grabbed the cordless microphone that was laying on a speaker near the easel.

“Born ready,” King answered as he took a sip of water.

*****************

With Tee’s leadership, the volunteer camp committee had worked hard to collect donations for their trip. Ram and some of the other committee members had asked their friends in other faculties to try to help get more donations. Ram had asked Duen for help since he was from the medical faculty and had a link to the university clinic. Duen, with the help of Thara, had gotten a bunch of the doctors, nurses, and med students to donate money for the reforestation project.

Not to say that Ram did not get his share of donations. Because of Ram’s good looks, plenty of girls and guys had tried to talk to him as they offered him their donations. The silence that many were faced with had caused them to donate more money to see if it would encourage Ram to talk to them. When Ram remained silent, they would eventually give up, but Ram would have their money secure in his donation box. King had been one of the people who ended up donating a large amount of money during a one-sided conversation with Ram.

Due to Ram and the other volunteer committee members doing so well with obtaining donations, all camp expenses were paid for the volunteers, including food. For the tree planting today, the committee had set up drinks and finger foods to eat for breakfast to quickly get everyone fed, provide instructions, and move towards the site to start planting trees.

The volunteers had lined up to obtain their choice of breakfast including a container of Patongo (Thai version of the donut-lightly sweet dough deep-fried until it is fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside), steam buns, Khanom Pang (waffles), or fruit. Water, orange juice, coconut water, tea, and coffee were also offered with their breakfast. All the volunteers were asked to sit down in the meeting area to eat as the Tree Planting Orientation was about to start.

Ram found Tang, Ting Ting, Phu, and Duen sitting halfway from the front of the meeting area. His friends were eating their breakfast and talking, well at least most of them. Duen was silently eating his breakfast.

Ram sat next to his best friend and pushed Duen’s shoulder with his own.

Duen looked up and said, “Oh, hi Ram.” Duen then went back to eating.

“You okay? Still worried about Bohn?”, Ram asked. Tang, Ting Ting, and Phu turned to look at Duen.

“A little bit,” Duen admitted.

“You guys need to talk and stop avoiding each other,” Ting Ting suggested. Ting Ting wondered why some couples don’t communicate with each other because it is so frustrating! Ram, Tang, and Phu nodded in agreement.

“I’ll think about it, “Duen said as he noticed Bohn in front with Tee and King.

*******************

“Good morning, volunteers! Thank you for getting here quickly and grabbing your breakfast so we can start the tree planting orientation," Tee said as he made opening remarks.

“I do have a few announcements. The first one is to please be careful with your belongings. Please do not take anything of value out into the forest and make sure you pick up all your belongings in the restrooms and showers before you leave. We don’t want anyone to lose anything valuable or have anything stolen.”

Frong, who was sitting alone behind Ram and his friends, was suddenly reminded that he couldn’t find his necklace and became sad at hearing the announcement. He wished he had someone there with him to talk to, but he couldn’t find P’Thara anywhere.

“The next announcement is to remind everyone to please make sure you have a buddy or companion with you when you are walking around the different areas of the forest. People can get lost easily if they go off the trail or not pay attention to where they are going. We just want to make sure everyone is safe and is not put in a dangerous situation,” Tee continued.

Tang leaned into his friends as they continued to eat breakfast and suggested. “Let’s make sure that we are always paired up or let each other know who we are with, okay? It could be really scary to get lost in the forest.” Ting Ting, Ram, Phu, and Duen nodded in agreement.

“So, the plan for today is breakfast, orientation, and then we are going to head over to the tree planting site, which is about a 10-15 minute walk from here. We are going to plant trees for a few hours. Water will be supplied so nobody gets dehydrated while planting. Around noon, we will come back here to eat lunch for about an hour and then head back to the tree planting site until we have planted all 2000 trees. You will then have free time to eat dinner, explore, and hang out with friends for the rest of the day,” Tee informed the volunteers. Tee then pointed to the easel that showed a schedule of events.

“Tomorrow is going to be our last day here and it is mostly to appreciate nature and the forest. For those of you who would like to take some beautiful scenic pictures of the lake and mountains, we will be hiking there early tomorrow at 9 am. For those who would like to sleep in and stay behind, there will be a presentation on Deforestation in Thailand by some members of the Royal Forest Department around 10:30 am,” Tee informed the volunteers. In the middle of Tee explaining what the presentation would be covering, Ram got a notification and checked his phone.

 **Pin** : Ram, where are you? I haven’t heard

from you since Saturday.

Ram didn’t want to text her back. He was still trying to figure out if he wanted to confront her or his dad. He decided to answer her back to see what she wanted.

**Ram:** Camp for uni. Been busy. Y?

 **Pin** : I need to talk to you about something.

 **Ram** :?

 **Pin** : Let’s talk on Friday when you get back.

I heard you will be at dinner. I’m going

to be there, too.

 **Ram** : K

Ram wondered why Pin was going to be at his house for dinner on the same night his dad wanted him home. Ram couldn’t fathom what Pin and his dad wanted to talk to him about. What a nightmare! Ram tried to stop thinking about it by focusing on what Tee was saying.

“...There will be lunch around noon and then the rest of the day will be exploring the forests, streams, and waterfalls and doing other activities. We will then have dinner around 5 pm,” Tee summarized for the volunteers.

“To finish up this trip on a high note, we are planning a talent show after dinner around 7 pm. We hope that some of you will share your talents and entertain your peers. You can sing, dance, do a skit, or tell a story. You can do whatever you want. We just want everyone to have fun! Please sign up with Dao if you would like to participate”, Tee said as Dao stood up and waved at everyone. The volunteers were chatting and seemed excited about all the things that they were going to be doing today and tomorrow.

“Maybe we should volunteer to do something for the talent show,” Ting Ting proposed excitedly to her friends. The guys responded with indifference and continued to listen to Tee.

“Okay, we are now going to learn about the tree planting process. I’m going to have one of your seniors and hazers, King, come up and explain it to you. King!”, Tee announced. King was the obvious choice to teach everyone about tree planting because King was in his element. Talking about planting and trees was something that just came easy to him.

Tee handed the microphone over to King and Tee went to the easel to take off the schedule. Under it was a poster showing a tree sapling in the ground.

Ram looked up from his breakfast to see King in front of all the volunteers. Ram thought that focusing on King would be a good distraction. King was a natural. He didn’t appear nervous and seemed very comfortable talking in front of others.

“Good Morning everyone! If you don’t know who I am, I’m King and I will be instructing you on how we would like you to plant the tree saplings. Before we get started, you are probably wondering why trees are so important…,” King started to share with the volunteers.

Ram watched and listened as King talked about oxygen, air quality, and other reasons trees are important. Ram loved it when King shared his knowledge about something. It fascinated him that King knew so much information about everything. Ram was sitting Indian style, with his elbow on his knee and his cheek laying on his hand, staring at King fondly. It was hard not to tell that Ram was smitten with King.

Tang glanced at Ram and nudged Ting Ting, Duen, and Phu. Ting Ting, Phu, and Duen looked at Ram, then at King, and then back at Ram before shaking their heads slightly. Phu and Duen went back to eating their breakfast. Ting Ting looked back at Tang and shrugged.

“Now that you all know how important trees are, let’s plant some! First off, these are the parts of the tree sapling. The trunk flare is where the trunk expands at the base of the tree. That part should be partially visible after you have planted the tree,” King pointed at the trunk flare in the diagram. King looked back at the volunteers and tried to make eye contact with everyone to engage people in his presentation. Unfortunately, his approach was making people more interested in him than the information.

“Wow, P’King is so smart and handsome. I wonder if he has a girlfriend?”, a girl said a few feet to the right of Ram. Ram looked in her direction briefly and frowned.

“The second step is to dig a shallow and broad hole that is 2-3 times wider than the root, but only as deep as the root, using the hoes or shovels provided to you on-site,” King continued. King was enjoying talking about planting trees and it showed in the smile across his face.

Ram overheard another girl on his left say something about King. “P’King is so hot. I wonder how deep he’d be willing to go,” as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively to her friends, who giggled with her. Ram looked in the girls’ direction with a sour face.

“The next step is to take the sapling out of the container, place the tree in the hole, then have someone view the tree from several directions to confirm it is straight,” King suggested since he wanted to make that step needed to be done correctly because it does take some time for the new tree to spread and attach to the soil.

“If King wanted confirmation from me, I’d let him know that I’m definitely not straight," a guy somewhere behind Ram said out loud to his friends. Ram turned around to see who it was but couldn’t figure it out. Ram turned back around with a scowl on his face.

Ram knew King was smart, confident, well-liked, handsome, and outgoing, but hadn’t realized how much other people were interested in King. It was one thing to read about how King’s fan club members thought he was cute, it was another thing to hear people blatantly comment about his boyfriend openly. With King and Nott’s performance on the bus yesterday and his presentation today, Ram had come to realize that he was not the only one interested in King. King had tons of admirers.

Ram knew he was being stupid right now since he and King have already established that they are in a relationship. He trusted King and knew that King would never intentionally hurt him. The fact that they were able to easily transition to being boyfriends almost made it too good to be true.

Ram thought about his dad and his mom, how they’ve always seemed to be a match made in heaven. His parents always seemed to balance each other out. Never in a million years did Ram think that his dad would cheat on his mom with Pin. Ram couldn’t understand what his dad was getting from Pin that he was not getting from his mom. It just didn’t make any sense.

Ram was usually pretty confident about himself, too, but with his view of relationships being tarnished by his dad, he has been thinking that maybe he did not have much to offer to King. He was in his first year, his grades were okay, he didn’t have a car, and he is shy and quiet. King always looked out for him, helped him, guided him, rescued him, comforted him, supported him. The list went on. The more Ram thought about it, he wondered what King saw in him. Ram shook his head slightly. Ram knew that he needed to stop thinking this way. He was so frustrated with himself. Then, he heard King’s voice and looked up.

“Then, fill the hole gently, but firmly, packing soil around the base of the root to stabilize it. Fill the remainder of the hole and pack the soil. You may also water while backfilling,” King instructed as he looked at the audience. He noticed Ram with an upset look on his face and wondered if he was okay. Ram’s friends noticed his face also.

“What’s wrong, Ram?”, Tang asked while Duen and Ting Ting looked at him concerned.

“Are you upset about something?”, Phu asked. Ram shook his head. He had to come up with an excuse.

“Constipation,” Ram stated to get his friends to leave him alone.

“Here’s some orange juice,” Ting Ting said as she gave him her bottle. Ram chugged it down to avoid any more questions, then looked back at King. His friends knew he was not going to respond to them so they continued to listen to King.

“Use the stakes and string to help keep the tree in place. The string should be tied on the lower half of the tree and allow for trunk movement. Then, put mulch at the base of the tree and that’s it. The tree is planted. Any questions?”, King said as he looked around, then continued.

“No? Okay! We will have committee members walking through the tree planting site and reminding you of the steps. Please feel free to ask me or any of the committee members for help. Thanks for listening. Here’s Tee,” King concluded and gave the microphone to Tee. King thought the presentation went well. He looked over at Ram, who looked a bit down. He would have to check in on him in a little bit.

“Now that everyone has their instructions, please throw your trash, get whatever stuff you would like to bring for the next few hours, and meet in front of the first aid station in 5 minutes to start walking towards the tree planting site. Thanks!”, Tee said as he dismissed everyone.

**********************

As the volunteers dispersed, King, Tee, Bohn, Mek, and Boss stuck around to put stuff away and to get ready to leave themselves. Ram and his friends took their time to leave when Ram noticed that a few of the volunteers had gone up to King and offered him some breakfast and drinks, but King had politely turned them down. Ram knew that King had not eaten or drank anything this morning and thought of something he could do for King.

Ram turned to his friends and said, “Be right back.” Ting Ting, Tang, Phu, and Duen watched as Ram ran over to the place where they were handing out breakfast and got a styrofoam cup and filled it with hot water from the water boiler. He found a pack of jasmine tea, opened it, and started steeping the tea bag in it. He grabbed a steam bun and some fruit and put them in a plastic bag. He then grabbed the tea and headed over to where the seniors were. Ting Ting, Tang, Duen, and Phu slowly followed behind Ram in the direction of the seniors.

*************

King and his friends were putting away the speaker, microphone, easel, and other stuff that they had brought to the meeting area. Boss and Mek noticed Ram heading in their direction and looked at each other before slowly moving towards King since they suspected who Ram was visiting. King noticed Mek and Boss in his line of vision and looked at them before turning to look at what they were staring at. Ram was heading towards him. He wondered why. He waited for Ram to get to him.

“Cool Boy! Is everything okay? What do you need?", King asked. Bohn and Tee finished up what they were doing and stood with Mek and Boss, a little ways from King. Ting Ting, Tang, Phu, and Duen were doing the same, behind Ram. The two groups made eye contact with each other and gave each other nods of acknowledgment before going back to observe King and Ram’s interaction.

Ram brought his arm up to show King the bag with the steam bun and fruit. King took the bag and looked in it. He looked up at Ram and smiled. King hadn’t eaten breakfast and the volunteers who offered him food and drinks didn’t offer anything that he liked and he didn’t want to take anything from them anyway.

Before he could say anything else, Ram offered the tea to King in his other hand. King took it from Ram and took a sip.

“Hmm. It’s good! Thanks, Cool Boy!”, King expressed with appreciation. Ram is always taking care of him and it made King feel warm and fuzzy inside. Ram nodded with a small smile at King.

Ram then looked at King and brought his hand up to his head and tapped it, questioning King about his head.

“It’s fine. I will feel better though now that I have breakfast and tea. Thank you!”, King answered as he looked at Ram.

Boss whispered to Mek and the other guys, “How does King understand what Ram is asking without him saying anything?” Mek smacks Boss in the back of his head while Bohn and Tee shush Boss so they can hear what King and Ram are saying.

“Did you eat breakfast?”, King asked. Ram nodded. King continued concerned, “Why did you seem upset during my presentation?”

Both Ram’s friends and King’s friends turned to look at King. They were all amazed at King being able to read Ram’s expression in the middle of doing his tree planting presentation.

Ram looked down at the ground and sighed. King was about to say something when he noticed Ram’s friends watching them. He turned to his side and noticed his friends were watching them also. He looked from one group to the other before looking at Ram. King knew something was wrong, which didn’t make sense since they were pretty happy before orientation started. King grabbed Ram’s arm and turned to his friends.

“I need to talk to Cool Boy. If we aren’t at the first aid station in 5 minutes, go on without us. We already know how to get to the tree planting site since we went there this morning. We’ll meet you all there!”, King said to both groups of friends and pulled Ram with him to go talk.

Both groups of friends watched as King and Ram walked the opposite direction of the first aid station.

Tang broke the silence, “Can they be more obvious? Something is going on between them.” Phu and the rest of King’s and Ram’s friends nodded their heads in agreement.

“Any bets on when they’ll crack and tell us that they are together?”, Boss asked. Ram’s and King’s friends all started speaking at once and the two groups combined as the friends started taking out money to give to Boss, who was writing down their predictions on a notepad he got from Mek. When Boss was done, the mixed group of juniors and seniors chatted as they walked together to the first aid station to meet the rest of the volunteers.

*************

King held Ram’s arm as he walked past some of the volunteers who were heading in the opposite direction towards the first aid station. They passed a bunch of tents that were on the edge of the forest and went along a walking path to a streamlined with pretty pink flowers. King had found this place while doing his rounds the night before. He had gotten curious about the path and checked it out.

Near the path was a fallen tree overlooking the stream. King brought Ram there and had him sit down on the tree, then sat next to him.

Ram took the plastic bag of breakfast items from King and took out the fruit and the steam bun and offered them to King. King took the steam bun as Ram put the fruit back in the bag.

"So, what's wrong?", King asked as he started eating his steam bun. Ram did not want to burden King with the things that were on his mind.

Ram looked at King and shook his head. King stared at Ram waiting patiently for him to answer.

“Nothing,” Ram answered. King looked at him with a penetrating glare while he tore into his steam bun and drank his tea. Ram raised his eyebrows and his eyes widened as he realized that King was waiting for an answer.

“I got a text message from Pin,” Ram admitted, sagging his shoulders in defeat. King straightened up.

“Why? What happened?”, King asked. Ram explained how Pin had said she needed to tell him something and that she would be there on Friday for dinner with his family.

Ram needed to calm down so he took out the container of fruit from the plastic bag. He opened up the container, got the toothpick, poked it into a piece of fruit, and fed the fruit to King.

King stood up and put his empty cup of tea in the plastic bag. He then brought his hands to Ram’s face and looked him in the eyes.

“Are you okay? Talk to me please,” King encouraged Ram as he rubbed his thumbs lightly on Ram’s cheeks. He bent forward and kissed Ram on the lips. Ram sighed.

“I still don’t understand. I’ve always seen my parents’ relationship as perfect. It just doesn’t make any sense why he would be with Pin,” Ram divulged. King grabbed the toothpick and poked a few pieces of fruit and fed them to Ram before getting a few pieces of fruit for himself and eating it. He spoke as he put the container in the plastic bag.

“There could be numerous reasons why your dad cheated on your mom with Pin. Some couples may appear to be okay on the outside but could be having issues that nobody else knows about. Your parents love you and Ruj. They could have been protecting you guys from knowing that they were having problems. Maybe your dad is having a mid-life crisis and may have been feeling insecure about himself. I don’t know how productive it is for you to worry about “what ifs” though,” King pointed out as he put his hand on Ram’s shoulder for comfort.

Ram nodded. What King was saying was true. Him thinking about the possibilities of why his dad and Pin decided to have an affair was just making him feel worse. He hoped that the truth would come out at some point.

“Interestingly, we are sitting here at this fallen tree because you probably feel like it. You believed your family to be the tree, firmly established and deeply rooted in love. Then, it is suddenly uprooted and you are in shock. You feel broken and off-balance. You know, some fallen trees are unable to be saved, but in some cases, one can revive a tree by replanting it. The amount of care that one gives the tree plays a major role in whether or not it recovers. You would have to water it and give it a chance to heal. You may have to prune the tree to remove the broken branches. The tree will eventually be able to establish its roots and new growth may eventually occur, but it is going to take some time. All plants need time to grow. We just have to keep taking care of the tree to help shape it to what it needs to be, “King inferred.

Ram took a deep and tried to hold back his tears. He did feel like his family was exactly how King eloquently described the fallen tree. King knew Ram was having a hard time so he stood up and went up to Ram with his arms wide open. Ram pulled King in between his legs and held onto his torso. Ram laid his head on King’s chest and breathed in King’s scent. King ran his fingers through Ram’s hair to help calm him down.

“Things might suck now, but things will eventually get better. You and your family will figure things out. I’m going to be right here with you. You do know that, right?”, King asked. Ram nodded.

"Hold me for a little while?", Ram asked as he looked up at King, needing his comfort. King was happy to oblige.

*******************************

After a few minutes, Ram and King let go of each other.

“Feeling better?”, King asked concerned.

“A little,” Ram answered. The family situation was not going anywhere, but Ram had no control over that so he might as well try to let it go until he meets his family on Friday. Ram thought about how wonderful King is and how he takes care of him, which brought back some of his thoughts earlier around all of King’s admirers and their relationship. King scrutinized Ram, who still seemed to be pondering things.

“I feel like there is more going on in that head of yours that you are not telling me,” King said as he looked at Ram.

Ram confessed, “I was thinking how we transitioned so easily to boyfriends. I feel so happy with you, but I am worried…”, Ram cut himself off not knowing if he should share how he feels.

“Go on. I think it is better if you just talk about whatever is bothering you with me. It’s worked so far, right?”, King suggested.

“Okay. Because of all these thoughts about my family situation, it has made me have thoughts about our relationship. With you and Nott’s performance on the bus yesterday and your presentation on how to plant tree saplings today, I hadn’t realized that you had so many admirers. I was just having stupid thoughts that maybe I didn’t have much to offer you, or that I won’t make you happy, or that you will eventually want someone better. I think I’m also upset because I heard all these people expressing interest in you sexually and I didn't like it,” Ram admitted.

“Wait! Hold on a second. This is coming from the guy who was getting propositioned by Aranya just this morning. You have your share of people interested in you, too, and I don’t like it either,” King reminded Ram. King then went back to stand in between Ram’s legs and brought his arms around Ram’s neck. Ram put his arms tightly around King’s waist and put his chin on King’s chest to look up at King while King looked down at his face.

“One. You are stupid. I’m just joking! I know the situation with your parents has skewed your view of relationships a little, but your parents’ relationship is their relationship and our relationship is ours. We’re still figuring ours out and how we are going to make it work. That’s why we promised each other that we would talk things out. The more we talk about our needs and wants, the more we can work towards providing them to each other and make each other happy”, King pointed out. Ram nodded into King's chest.

“Two. I feel the same way as you and sometimes question if I’m good enough for you or if I can make you happy, but then realize that if I wasn't good enough, you wouldn't give me the time of day. It's like when you talk to me when you don’t normally talk to anyone. That’s evidence that maybe I am worthy enough for you to make the effort. I feel like you are more than good enough for me. I know that you like dogs, so I want to overcome my fear so I can enjoy them with you because you are worth it for me,” King stated as he pulled slightly back so Ram's neck wouldn't get strained on his chest.

“Three. I think you need to shift your focus. You say a lot of people are interested in me. I am pretty sure there are a lot of people interested in you, too. Either way, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is who you and I are interested in and I choose you, Pikachu!”, King said giggling as he kissed Ram’s nose, which caused Ram to smile. King always knows how to make Ram feel better.

“I choose you, too”, Ram whispered happily as he brought his face up as King leaned down so they could meet for a kiss on the lips. King gently moved his lips against Rams’ before their foreheads touched and their eyes met.

"Are you feeling better? Are you okay?", King asked. Ram leaned back and looked up at King.

"I’m fine. I'm just upset because of my family situation. When I think about it, I start having negative thoughts and then it leads to thinking it could happen to us, when I know I should try to stop the thoughts. Please be patient with me. I have to focus on the positive stuff and avoid trying to predict that bad things will happen with us," Ram responded with a tiny smile.

"I know we've only been together for a short time, but it is just amazing how comfortable and easy it is to be with you. Thank you for encouraging me to talk about what bothers me. It helps me when you listen to me and give me feedback. To think that I've lived my life getting by with talking very little, but with you, the best way to be with you, and in our relationship, is for me to talk to you," Ram admitted as he hugged King sweetly.

"I am glad that you feel comfortable talking specifically to me. It makes me feel like I'm getting a special treat that nobody else is getting," King shared as he rubbed his cheek on the top of Ram's head. Ram pulled back from his hug to look at King. King loved this vantage point where he could see Ram from above. Ram’s face was so open and his eyes were so mesmerizing from the high angle. He didn’t realize he was staring until Ram started talking.

"Since we are talking about how we feel, I have to be honest. I don't like other people looking at you or talking about how much they want to get with you," Ram stated.

"Me either," King disclosed as he ran his hands through Ram's hair.

“What do you want to do? Do we walk back holding hands? Do you want to tell everyone that we are in a relationship?”, King asked.

“Well, our friends know that we are talking right now and I know they suspect something. I think I’d rather we come out to our friends first before coming out to everyone else. I think Duen would be pissed if some stranger found out before him,” Ram disclosed.

“I think Bohn would be the same way,” King stated.

“Do you want to tell our friends separately or do you want to tell them all together?”, Ram asked.

“Wouldn’t it be easier just to do it together? We could get all the teasing and commentary out of the way”, King proposed. Ram nodded.

“The way things have been going, there is bound to be a chance that our friend groups will be at the same place at the same time. Let’s just do it the next time we are all together as a group,” Ram asked.

“That sounds like a good idea,” King looked at his watch and looked down at Ram. “We better get going. It’s going to take us 10-15 minutes to walk to the tree planting site,” King said as he started to pull away from Ram’s hold but wasn’t moving. He looked back at Ram.

“Hold on,” Ram said softly. Ram stood up and put his hands on King’s shoulders, his thumbs rubbing lightly along King’s neck. He then leaned forward and started feathering kisses along the top of King’s cream shirt. He continued to go up along King’s neck until he licked and then nibbled on King’s Adam’s apple. King moaned at the sensation. Ram leaned back to look at King seductively. King couldn’t take how Ram was looking at him and mashed his lips to Ram’s while running his hands down Ram’s chest and abs, then around to Ram’s firm ass. King was guiding his hands along Ram’s ass as if he was cherishing it like a gift.

King broke the kiss and started kissing along Ram’s jawline until he got to Ram’s ear. He nibbled on Ram’s earlobe and then started kissing behind his ear. He then kissed along Ram’s neck and shoulder before laying lingering kisses along Ram’s collarbone and King said, “Although I do enjoy making out with you, there are trees that need planting.” Ram nodded.

King looked up to smile at Ram. Ram looked at King with affection. As they stared at each other, their foreheads leaned in, then King slowly rubbed his nose against Ram’s. Ram then rubbed his nose along King's cheek before rubbing his nose against King’s. King tilted his head back and smiled fondly at Ram before pulling on Ram’s arm excitedly.

“Let’s go! I want to plant some trees!”, King exclaimed. Ram laughed at his overly excited boyfriend. He picked up the plastic bag and started walking along the path back to camp with a very eager King.

“Do you know that an average size tree produces enough oxygen in one year to keep a family of four breathing? If we plant 2000 trees, we will be helping 8000 people breathe for a year! The power of nature!”, King shared excitedly. Ram smiled to himself, looking at King adoringly.

**********************

King and Ram walked through the camp and got on the dirt road towards the tree planting site.

“Let’s play a game while we walk! Would you rather play video games or play cards?”, King asked.

“Video games,” Ram answered, “How about you?”

“Video games. Your turn,” King instructed. Ram thought of a question.

"Would you rather get up early or stay up late? ", Ram asked.

"Stay up late. You?", King responded.

"Get up early, " Ram answered then King grimaced in response.

"Would you rather me call you Ram or Cool Boy?", King asked curiously and glanced at Ram briefly before looking back at the road.

Ram thought about it and answered sweetly, “Cool Boy for every day and Ram for special occasions or when you are intensely happy and feeling good.” King stopped to absorb what Ram said.

Ram wrapped his arms around King in a back hug and kissed the back of his neck. King put his hands on top of Ram’s arms around his waist. King twisted his head to look at Ram with a beaming smile.

“Ram,” King said then leaned forward to rub his nose onto Ram’s. Ram looked at King surprised, then rubbed his nose against King’s. He looked at King again, grinning from ear to ear. Ram released his hold on King and then kissed King on the cheek, feeling as good and intensely happy as King was feeling at the moment. The boyfriends continued to talk and laugh, side by side, playing “Would you rather” as they walked towards the tree planting site.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit is given to treehuggersbracelets.com for the instructions on how to plant a tree sapling and diagram.
> 
> Credit to Why R U and Saint/Zee for inspiring Ram's lick/nibble of King's Adam's apple.
> 
> Credit is also given to the movie Pride and Prejudice for inspiring the Would you rather Ram/Cool Boy question.
> 
> Credit is given to Ram/Perth Nakhun for inspiring the Pikachu reference since he loves Pokemon.
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope that you liked the chapter.


	22. Friends Together in Sunshine and in Shade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram continue to talk and set up plans before finally getting back to the tree planting site. King and Ram witness issues between Bohn and Duen and try to make some suggestions. King and Ram each get to spend time with friends as they plant trees all morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay! This is a long chapter again and there is a lot of stuff going on! 
> 
> There are a few scenes from Episode 13 included in this chapter.
> 
> There are also a number of guest appearances!
> 
> Happy Reading!

King and Ram continued to walk down the dirt path playing Would You Rather. King and Ram were enjoying the game because it was allowing them to learn a little more about each other in a fun way. King and Ram do know things about each other, but they both felt it was nice to know stuff that they only knew about each other.

“Would you rather wear boxers or briefs?”, King asked curiously.

“Boxer briefs,” Ram answered proudly. He looked at King questioningly and raised his eyebrows.

“Boxer briefs, too, actually,” King responded.

“Thought so,” Ram said under his breath.

“I heard that! You thought so?", King asked wondering how Ram knew. Ram smirked at King.

“I saw your Hawaiian print boxer briefs before we took a shower together yesterday,” Ram explained. He walked up to King and leaned over to whisper in his ear, “You looked really good in them.”

Ram leaned back, turned his head, and mumbled to himself, “I wanted to put my hands all over them.”

King stared at Ram wide-eyed after overhearing Ram’s mumble, smiling before saying, “Maybe later, “as he raised his eyebrows up and down flirtatiously.

“Don’t make promises, you can’t keep,” Ram challenged King, looking at him provocatively.

“Oh, I keep my promises. You wait and see,” King countered hotly. Ram was looking forward to it.

Ram nodded at King as they got back into the game. It was Ram’s question.

“Would you rather stay home or go on a date?”, Ram asked sincerely. Ram has been thinking about taking King out on a date but didn’t know how to ask him. They have hung out and gone to dinner plenty of times, but never like a real date. Since he is now officially in a relationship with King, he wanted to do activities as a couple. He waited for King’s response.

King liked the idea of being able to spend an evening doing normal couple things with Ram. He thought about all the times they hung out and that it would be nice to go on a proper date, so he answered, “Go on a date.”

“Really?”, Ram asked happily. King nodded with a smile because he liked seeing Ram so happy. Ram took a deep breath and got up the nerve to ask King a question.

“P’King?”, Ram asked as King turned to look at him. Ram stopped King, grabbed King’s hands in his, and continued, “Would you like to go on a date with me on Sunday when you come back from your Grandmother’s house?”

King’s face lighted up and he smiled brightly at Ram. Ram was dazzled by that smile and wanted to do whatever he can to keep making King smile like that.

“Sure! I’d love to,” King stated enthusiastically. King was excited about going on their first date as a couple.

“It’s a date,” Ram said as he smiled and gave King a tender kiss on the lips.

****************************

King and Ram continued to talk as they walked. When the trees started becoming sparser, King and Ram noticed that they were walking onto the tree planting site. Ram wanted to make sure King knew what he was supposed to do.

“P’King, I know you can handle things on your own and likely will not need me, but please watch your head and drink water to keep yourself hydrated. Please take care of yourself and let me know if you need any help. Just find me or text me okay?”, Ram reminded King.

“Yes, Mom!”, King responded. Ram narrowed his eyes at King.

“I’m just joking. I will take it easy. I promise, okay?” King clarified. Ram nodded.

“See you later?”, King asked. Ram nodded as King waved at him and walked towards Bohn and his friends. Ram looked for any of his friends and noticed Phu and Duen planting a tree with Ting Ting and Tang planting trees a few feet away from them. Ram headed over to his friends.

*****************

King found Bohn planting a tree sapling.

“Hey!”, King greeted Bohn.

“Hey,” Bohn said with less enthusiasm as he finished putting mulch at the base of the tree and stood up. He waved King over and they both walked to the distribution area. Bohn picked up two tree saplings and handed them over to King before getting two for himself. King also picked up some tools and they both talked while walking back to find a space to plant their trees.

“Everything okay with Nong Ram?”, Bohn asked as they walked past some of the volunteers to find an unused part of the land.

“Yeah, he’s okay. He just has some family stuff going on,” King responded as he put his tools and tree sapling down.

“How do you know he has family stuff going on? Does he actually talk to you?”, Bohn asked sarcastically. King looked at Bohn annoyed.

“Of course, he talks to me. How else would I know he was dealing with family issues? We actually have conversations, “King said. He knows Bohn is having some issues right now, but he didn’t have to take any of his crap.

“What is that supposed to mean?”, Bohn asked defensively.

“Okay, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you have been tense and in a bad mood all morning,” King pointed out.

“Don’t worry about it! I’m fine!”, Bohn snapped at King and walked off. King shook his head. He knew something was bothering Bohn. Well, he wasn’t going to keep him from doing what he came here to do. King had four saplings in front of him that needed to be planted, so he decided to get started.

*****************

Ram spotted Phu and Duen digging a hole and started walking towards them. Phu looked up and saw Ram heading their way.

“Hey, Ram!”, Phu greeted him. Duen looked up from digging his hole and checked on his friend, “Hey Ram! Were you able to talk to P’King about whatever was bothering you?” Ram nodded.

“Do you want to talk about it?”, Duen asked. Ram shook his head. Duen looked at Ram for a second, stood up, and wiped his hands on his pants before saying,” Let’s go get you some saplings and tools.” Ram followed Duen to the distribution area. Duen handed him two saplings and Ram got some tools. They started walking back when Ting Ting and Tang greeted Ram.

Tang called out as he stopped digging his hole, “Hey Ram, you okay?” Ram nodded then waved at them as he followed Duen back to where Phu was. Ram noticed that Duen wasn’t exactly his peppy self.

“Are you okay?”, Ram asked Duen. Duen sighed and disclosed to Ram about Bohn ignoring him and not talking to him.

“You both need to talk,” Ram suggested but Duen still seemed like he wanted to avoid dealing with whatever problem he had and walked away towards Phu. Ram followed hoping that Bohn and Duen would work things out eventually.

*********************

The tree planting continued, and the volunteers were working together to plant the tree saplings. They spread themselves throughout the site, so the trees had enough space to grow.*

Phu, Ram, and Duen were working on planting a tree sapling when Ram looked up to see King on his own using a field hoe to dig a hole for his sapling. Ram noticed that the senior with the megaphone stopped to talk to King.

“Dig it deep. Good dig it! You are the best!”, he told King as King smiled in response then got back to digging.

The senior eventually left and Ram continued to watch King try to dig. He noticed how King brought his hand up to his head. Ram carefully observed King in case he needed to get to him quickly.

King felt pain on the side of his head. He brought his hand up to his head, squeezed his eyes shut, and clenched his teeth. After a few seconds, it went away, and he opened his eyes as he moved his bangs off of his face. He looked over at Ram, who lowered his eyes to Phu and Duen’s digging.

Ram noticed that Duen became tense all of a sudden and saw Bohn heading their way. Duen got up before Bohn got to them and took his tree sapling with him to Tang’s planting area.

“Here, I’ll help you,” Duen said to Tang.

Ram noticed Bohn watching Duen move away and then Bohn moving to squat near King. Ram shook his head and sighed. Duen ran away from talking to Bohn again.

King also had noticed the scene between Duen and Bohn. King looked at Bohn as he looked back to watch Duen. He seemed to have calmed down from earlier.

“Are you and Duen fighting?”, King asked as he laid his hands on the end of his garden hoe as it stood on the ground.

“No, not really,” Bohn answered as he looked at King. King looked back to look at Duen planting his tree with Tang.

“But, just now he saw you straight in the face,” King stated his observation. Bohn looked back and then at the tree sapling.

“Maybe he thought I am still angry, so that’s why he’s ignoring me,” Bohn said as he looked at King.

King glanced at Ram who was watching the Duen and Bohn scene also. King looked at Duen then watched Bohn look back longingly at Duen. Duen ignored everyone and was talking to a girl. King was worried about Bohn and Duen. They both were not talking to each other and everyone could tell they were upset about something. If they would only talk, both of them would be doing better.

***********

The volunteers broke for lunch and started walking back to the campgrounds Ram and his group tried to make conversation as they broke away from the main group to talk amongst themselves.

"So, Ram, we wanted to talk to you. We know that you say that you are fine, but we have been concerned because you haven’t been yourself all week," Tang started the conversation.

"We know something happened but didn't want to stress you out during exams. We also know something happened on Saturday when you were missing, " Phu said.

"We suspect that P’King is aware of some, if not all, of what is going on since you were with him all weekend, " Duen shared.

"We are glad that P’King is there for you, but we also want you to remember we are here for you, too, if you need us for anything. We’re all here for each other, " Ting Ting declared as she looked at Ram and then discreetly glanced at Duen. Phu, Duen, and Tang nodded in agreement.

“Thank you,” Ram responded. Ram looked at his friends and knew that they were being sincere. He didn't want them to worry about him, but he is now at a point where he may need extra support more than ever with him going home on Friday to see his family. The friends continued to walk towards camp giving Ram the space to speak when he was ready by involving themselves in idle chit chat.

After a few minutes, Ram finally decided it was time to explain and spoke up, "Last week, I was out with P'King eating dinner after one of our study sessions. Afterward, I saw a man, who looked like my dad, walking with a woman to a familiar car. I followed them to a love motel.” His friends looked at Ram shocked.

Phu spoke up and asked, "Was it your dad?"

Ram nodded and disclosed, "I didn't believe it at first, but King and I were hanging out late at the park near my house after he found me. We were talking when I saw this post." Ram took out his phone and showed the picture of Pin and Ram's dad's hands." His friends leaned in to look at Ram’s phone.

"My mom had just fixed my dad's watch earlier last week."

"Hold on. That was posted by Pin! No wonder you were upset when I mentioned her name yesterday!", Tang cried out. Ram nodded.

"P'King and I confirmed it after hiding in some bushes and watching my dad and Pin kiss, " Ram told his friends.

“That’s why nobody could find you on Saturday. You were thinking about your dad and Pin, right?”, Duen asked. Ram nodded.

“Oh, Ram. We’re so sorry!”, Ting Ting said as she looked at Ram sadly.

“It’s okay. I’m still working on figuring out what to do if I do anything”, Ram shared.

“Well, if you need to run things by us or need anything, we’re here for you, too,” Phu declared. Ram’s friends all nodded in agreement. Ram was so glad he had such great friends.

Ram admitted, “I may need some support on Friday. I’m supposed to go to a family dinner with my parents, Ruj, and Pin on Friday when we get back from the volunteer camp. I don’t know what’s going to happen…” Ram cut himself short because he didn’t know what to think. He was worried that something bad may happen and that things would escalate.

“Don’t worry! If you need a place to stay, you can come to my house,” Duen offered. Ram nodded in appreciation.

They got to camp and as they walked to the dining area to get in line for lunch, Ram looked at his friends.

“Thank you guys for listening and being there for me,” Ram expressed sincerely to his friends. His friends nodded.

“Group Hug!”, Ting Ting yelled as Ram’s friends surrounded Ram and squeezed him. Ram was overwhelmed by the support but so appreciated his friends' concern for him. Phu tried to lift the mood by saying a joke as they got to the front of the line, got their packed lunches of Pad Thai, and went to find a place to eat.

***********

King and his friends had walked back to the campground quickly, trying to get there in case there were any issues with the lunch set up. When they got there, Tee had to go take care of something and Mek and Boss had run off on their own. The best friends decided to get lunch together.

As they walked to the dining area, they overheard someone announcing, “Okay everyone! We will take a break here for 1 hour. Please have some food and drink and rest. Help yourself!”

Bohn and King got there before everyone else did. King watched Bohn get a glass as he grabbed one for himself. Bohn was about to get something to drink but Mind was squatting down in front of the drink dispenser. They looked at each other before Mind got up quickly and left. King noticed something was off.

“What happened between you and Mind?”, King asked. Bohn turned around.

“Nothing much”, Bohn responded. King glanced towards where Mind ran off to.

“I don’t think it’s nothing, “King said as he looked back at Bohn. “He looks really scared of you. What did you do to him?” Bohn sighed and looked away before looking up at King.

“I didn’t do anything to him. It was he who did something to me,” Bohn said and looked away. He looked back up at King and admitted, “He suddenly came and kissed me.” King was shocked.

“Hah! Have you told Duen yet?”, King asked concerned.

“No. He will not get jealous of me anyway. It would make no difference if I told him or not, “Bohn answered.

“I agree. It’s the same,” King said contemplating the situation.

“Right,” Bohn acknowledged.

“No matter what, he will still be mad at you,” King informed Bohn.

“Why?”, Bohn asked. King looked at Bohn seriously.

“Think clearly, Bohn. If you tell him now, he might be mad, but he will forgive you in a while, but if you act like nothing ever happened and he knew after this, he won’t forgive you easily,” King clarified for Bohn. Bohn thought about it.

“And from what I saw this morning, he acts like everything is normal. He talked to everyone, but it’s just you that he won’t even walk near. He did not talk to you, did not look at you, didn’t even care, just like you don’t even exist,” King continued. Bohn looked down. King thought about it some more.

“Maybe he already knew about what happened with Mind,” King concluded. Bohn realizing that he needed to do something, put his glass away and went to find Duen.

King put his hand through his hair and watched his friend try to find his boyfriend. King was so relieved that he and Ram were on the same page about things. He’d hate to have a situation like this occur between him and Ram. King hoped that Bohn and Duen work things out. King grabbed his packed lunch of Pad Thai and a drink and went to find somewhere to eat.

***************

King walked around looking for a place to eat when he heard his name being called.

“King! King! Over here!”, Nott shouted as he beckoned him over to sit with him and Pun. King walked over to them and sat down.

“Hey”, King greeted the couple. Nott and Pun were both dressed casually, wearing hats. Nott had a camera around his neck. King figured he was taking tons of pictures of Pun. King always thought they were such a cute couple, although sometimes they bicker and do super cheesy things. It looked like they had just started eating their lunch.

“Hi, King! Long time no see,” Pun greeted back.

“Yeah, it’s been a while. How have you been? I hope Nott has been treating you well!”, King said as he gave Nott a sidelong glance and opened up his lunch and started eating.

“Shut up! Of course, I treat Pun well!”, Nott said as he waggled his eyebrows. Pun smacked him in the head.

“Cut it out!”, Pun said. He looked at King and said, “So, you dating anyone? You seem to be close to one of your juniors.” King choked on some noodles and started coughing. Nott scooted over to pat on King’s back as Pun grabbed a water bottle and gave it to King. King chugged down some water.

“Thanks!”, King said appreciatively. When he was able to breathe better, he looked at Pun and Nott.

“Where did you hear that from?”, King asked. He didn’t think Pun or Nott would be aware of any rumors about him. Nott and Pun looked at King suspiciously.

“Tell me, King, who is that Nong you got on the bus with and sat with on the trip over here?”, Pun asked curiously. King’s eyes widened before he quickly looked at his food and put something in his mouth. Nott and Pun leaned back and waited patiently.

King stuttered, “We, we, didn’t get on the bus together. He, he, um, just happened to get on at the same time I did. There were also no other seats together, so we had to sit next to each other.” Pun and Nott looked at each other, silently communicating before they looked at King. Pun and Nott had both watched Ram and King walking together onto the bus and Pun had asked Nott who the cute junior was. Nott had no idea. Nott nodded his head as if he understood how King was going to play it.

“What about the game? Spiderman plank? There was no way you could have gotten all those points if you didn’t know that Nong well”, Nott asked. Pun vigorously nodded his head because he was wondering that, too.

King stuck his chopsticks into his Pad Thai and rammed some noodles into his mouth. “I can’t believe people are still asking about the Spiderman plank,” King mumbled to himself before he responded.

“Cool Boy asked me to work out with him once and he showed me the Spiderman Plank”, King said out loud but ended the sentence with “kiss” in his head. Pun and Nott didn’t need to know that. Nott looked at him for a few seconds and laughed, rolling on his back. King looked at him not amused.

“What?”, King said annoyed. Nott was one of those friends that you don’t have to see for a long time but can start right where you left off as if you were never apart. This included teasing.

“You work out? That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life!”, Nott laughed hysterically. Pun giggled a little bit before looking at how pissed King was and slapped Nott to get him to stop laughing. Nott was eventually able to settle down.

“I honestly did work out with him”, King said adamantly to Nott and Pun. He got some more Pad Thai and angrily put some in his mouth. He started to calm down as he remembered that morning when they had confessed to each other in bed and then had their first kiss. A small smile started to form as he remembered helping Ram with his boxing exercises, the sit-ups, push-ups, the kisses, and that last Spiderman Plank kiss before Ruj caught them. Nott and Pun held the others’ hands as they watched King ignore them and his anger transform into something else.

“Based on that dreamy expression on your face, this Cool Boy you’ve been talking about seems more like he showed you the Spiderman Kiss rather than the Spiderman Plank!", Pun joked as him and Nott started giggling.

King started choking again on his noodles and Nott again patted King’s back and Pun handed King some water. King chugged down the rest of the water. King decided he was done with lunch. Pun patted King’s knee.

“King, I’m sorry! I was just joking”, Pun said apologetically. He looked at Nott lovingly before looking at King before he continued, “It’s kind of nice to have someone who can get you out of your comfort zone, isn’t it?” Pun gave him a supportive smile while Nott nodded.

King realized how much he missed hanging out with the couple. Although they were crazy at times, they were always supportive of him. They always invited him to hang out, but he usually turned them down because he didn’t want to be the third wheel. That would change once he and Ram go public with their relationship. Maybe they can do a double date sometime. King looked at his friends before Nott spoke up.

“And someone who you want to protect from harm and who does the same for you?”, Nott added while Pun nodded in agreement.

“What are you talking about?”, King asked hesitantly. Pun and Nott looked at each other before Nod slightly nodded at Pun.

“We heard about what Aranya did to your Nong and how she was harassing him. The nerve of her! He can report her if he wanted to! No wonder you had gotten so upset and tried to get him away from her, “Pun explained.

“We also found out she tried to attack you! I can’t believe she would do that! A junior who was there this morning had told one of our friends that just when she was about to attack you, your Nong stepped in front of her and she was knocked on her ass! I would have loved to see that!”, Nott burst out.

“It wasn’t a big deal,” King tried to minimize the situation.

“That’s not our understanding. Don’t you know it’s on video? Someone had videotaped Aranya confronting you and Ram,” Nott said as he took out his phone and looked for the post.

“Someone posted it on the Engineering Faculty page. It’s not going to look good for Aranya”, Nott continued as he showed King his phone.

King couldn’t take his eyes off the screen as he saw Aranya yell his name as he and Ram walked towards her. King started to feel the anger he had felt as she continued to insist that Ram should go with her. Nott and Pun watched the scene along with King.

“You got to say that you looked pretty hot standing up to Aranya”, Pun complimented King. Nott slapped Pun on the back of his head. Pun brought his hand up to pretend that it hurt. Nott felt bad and hugged his boyfriend, then kissed his head. King thought, “Ram felt the same way,” and smiled to himself.

King watched in satisfaction as Ram chose King over Aranya and followed him back to the truck. He watched in horror as Aranya looked furious and ran after them. He heard the desperation in Ram’s voice when called out King’s name and how Ram, without any hesitation, stepped into her path before she could slam into him. Anyone watching the video could tell that one should probably not mess with Ram. Ram’s boxing persona came out like he was Muhammad Ali looking down at Sonny Liston after knocking him out.

“Man, that Nong of yours is good looking even without standing up to Aranya. Him taking the brunt of the attack and yelling at her to stay away from him and his senior made him look even hotter”, Pun commented as he blocked Nott from hitting the back of his head and stuck his tongue out at him.

“Though, he is not as hot as Nott! HAHA! I made a rhyme!”, Pun said as he laughed. Nott looked at Pun adoringly as he leaned in for a kiss! King laughed at them before rolling his eyes. Nott looked at King and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Seriously, King, you and your Nong seem close and care for each other a lot. I mean, you worked out with him which is something you do not do. You wanted to protect him, and he wanted to protect you. Those things mean something. I have to admit that he is very good looking, so you better snatch that Nong up before someone else does,” Nott suggested. King nodded and wasn’t worried since they were already together. What he was really worried about was that video being posted and what all this will mean for him and Ram. He needed to talk to Ram.

“Thanks for the advice. I’m kind of more concerned about the video and Aranya doing something against us,” King admitted to the couple.

“You don’t have to worry about that. We will all back you and your Nong up,” Nott informed King. King was so appreciative of his friends.

**********

Tang, Phu, and Ram were done eating and just hanging out on the grass talking until they had to head back to the tree planting site. Duen had walked with Ting Ting to use the restroom.

Phu and Tang were on their phones. Ram was getting up the nerve to ask them something. He finally decided to just do it.

“Guys?”, Ram started. Phu and Tang looked up from their phones and waited for Ram to say more. Ram took a deep breath.

“If you were going to take someone out on a date, where would you go?”, Ram asked and then looked at his hands. Phu and Tang looked at each other knowingly, looked back at Ram, and put their phones away.

Phu answered tentatively at first, “Um, it depends. Maybe a place where you can talk or do something fun?” Tang nodded in agreement and shared his thoughts.

“It also depends on what is the purpose of the date, “Tang pointed out. Ram thought about it.

“Okay. Well, what if the purpose of the date is to connect, talk, have fun, and relax?”, Ram pondered out loud. Ram wanted to make their first date as a couple really special, but he didn’t want to overdo it, too.

Phu asked, “Well, what is your date interested in?”

“Plants,” Ram answered feeling a bit discouraged. Phu and Tang tried to think of something to help Ram on his date. Tang suddenly got an idea.

“What about a garden restaurant or garden café? My mom told me she went to a restaurant with her friends where there were tables surrounded by plants in a greenhouse. Ting Ting and I went to a garden café once where they had really good desserts and coffee.” Tang shared as he took out his phone.

“This is the place that Ting Ting and I went to. We also had some really cute animal desserts”, Tang disclosed as he shared his pictures to his friends. Ram and Phu looked at each other knowingly and smiled as they looked at Tang excitingly sharing his pictures. Ram thought that a garden restaurant or café would be a great idea. The friends put their heads together started searching for potential sites.

************

King and Ram were continuing to talk with their respective friends when an announcement was made over the megaphone:

“Okay, everyone! We’re done with lunch. We need to head back to the tree planting site. Put away your things and let’s get going!”

***********

Ram and his friends got up and started walking towards the tree planting site. Tang texted Ting Ting that they were heading back. As they walked, Phu and Tang were searching for potential restaurants and cafes and showing them to Ram. Ram suspected that they knew he was going out on a date with King but appreciated them not confronting him about who he was making date plans for. He smiled warmly at his friends being so willing to help him figure out what he should do on his date with King. King was right. Ram was glad he got the chance to spend time with his friends.

*********

“Thanks, Nott and Pun. It was nice chatting and thanks for letting me know about the video,” King said, grateful for his friends, as he started to pick up his trash and stand up.

“No problem. Don’t be a stranger, okay?”, Pun said to King as he picked up his stuff and stood up. King nodded and smiled at the couple.

“Yeah, let us know if you need anything. Oh, and introduce us to your Nong sometime. We’d love to meet him,” Nott told King as he stood up and helped Pun with their stuff.

“Will do. I’ll see you guys later,” King said as he waved, threw his stuff away, and went off to find Ram. Nott and Pun watched as King walked away.

“King’s in love,” Pun concluded.

“Yes, he is. Hopefully, that Nong will make him as happy as you make me, “Nott said to Pun. Pun looked at Nott with his eyes shining brightly. Pun put his hand out for a homie handshake. Nott shook his hand as they pulled each other forward for a hug. As they started to lean their bodies away from each other, their faces leaned forward for a peck on the lips.

“Let’s go,” Nott said as Pun grabbed his hand and walked toward the tree planting site together.

******************

Ram was walking with Tang and Phu down the dirt road talking about dating ideas when he heard someone calling his name.

“Cool Boy!”, King called out as he got closer to Ram and his friends. Ram turned around confused as to why King was seeking him out. Phu and Tang watched their interaction.

King went up to Ram, grabbed his wrist, and said, “Cool Boy! I need to talk to you. Can you come with me?” Ram looked at King with concern because King looked upset and nodded. He looked at his friends.

“It’s okay, Ram. We’ll meet you back at the tree planting site. Let’s go, Phu!”, Tang said reassuringly to Ram.

“Thanks!”, Ram said as he waved, then walked off the dirt road into the forest with King.

King pulled Ram along a path he found until they were away from the dirt road so nobody could see them. The little spot he found was surrounded by trees and fauna with the sunlight coming through the leaves. He stopped in a shady area and turned to look at Ram. Before he could say, anything, Ram grabbed his face.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”, Ram asked as he started checking King from head to toe. He had been worried that King had a fever, or his head was hurting. King shook his head.

“No, I’m fine. I needed to talk to you about this,” King said as he took out his phone and went on the Engineering Faculty page. He clicked on the video that was posted of their confrontation with Aranya. Ram was surprised as he watched the whole video. It already had a few thousand views and tons of comments. Ram scrolled through and found one that said that Aranya had been talking to others about “conquering Ram.” Some other posts were questioning whether something was going on between Ram and King. Ram showed the comments to King. King took his phone, looked at them, and sighed.

“Well, I’m not worried about the rumors about us. It will be out eventually that we are together. I’m more worried about Aranya’s response. She’s unpredictable. I thought it blew over when we were able to leave and she stayed behind at the site, “King started to discuss with Ram. Ram brought his hands to King’s arms and started rubbing them for comfort.

“Cool Boy, our whole confrontation on video was something I had not expected to be posted on social media. With that many views, someone from the staff or even the dean is going to find out about this. There may be an investigation and we may be called in to answer questions. I’m not worried about that since I know our stories will be the truth about what happened. This is not going to be good for Aranya though, especially if it gets out that she has been sexually harassing other students besides you. We have to be prepared for what she might do, including possibly accusing us of anything,” King expressed to Ram. King didn’t care about what happened to him. He cared about what would happen to Ram. Ram got closer to King and lifted his chin with his finger to look into his face.

“Are you worried about me stepping in front of you to block her attack and her falling on her ass so hard?”, Ram asked. King nodded.

“I am. I know I am being irrational right now. We have video and witnesses who saw the whole thing who can vouge for both of us that we didn’t intentionally do anything to retaliate against her. The video shows her being the aggressor. I’m still worried she would pull something on us though. This could ruin her reputation and her academic career,” King admitted.

Ram scrutinized King. King was usually calm and collected, but Ram thought that King was a bit frazzled because it had to do with him. King never really had to worry about anyone but himself. King worrying about someone else that he cared about was something he had not experienced before. Ram was touched that King cared for him so much. He felt the same way.

Although King was usually the comforter, Ram wanted to do the same for King. Ram pulled King to him and hugged him tightly. King put his arms around Ram’s waist and rubbed his face against Ram’s neck. He breathed Ram’s scent of basil, lavender, sage, and sandalwood, and closed his eyes. Ram’s hug made him feel better. Ram pulled back and looked at King as he held onto him.

“Everything is going to be fine. I don’t think she can do anything to retaliate against us. We have a lot of support and we’re going to get through this together,” Ram reassured King. King nodded. King leaned his forehead forward to meet Ram’s. King and Ram closed their eyes for a few seconds before King took a deep breath and opened his eyes to look at Ram. Ram opened his eyes and looked at King then gave him a lopsided smile. King felt warmth in his chest and smiled back at Ram. Ram rubbed his nose against King’s. King pressed the tip of his nose against Ram’s and held it there for a few seconds as he gazed fondly at Ram with a small smile on his face. He then rubbed his nose against Ram’s.

“We got to head back soon,” King informed Ram as he was starting to pull out of Ram’s arms.

“Wait,” Ram said as he looked into King’s eyes. Ram pulled King back into him and laid his lips onto King’s. Ram brought his hand up to King’s neck to pull him closer as they continued to give each other slow, loving kisses. Without all the stress of Aranya, one would have thought that they were in a scene from a movie. The couple held each other close, beautifully surrounded by trees and plants in the shady grove. Ram and King looked handsome with the sun coming through the trees and highlighting the features of their faces. The scene looked like time had stopped and they were the only people in the forest. They continued to kiss each other and hold each other tightly, not realizing that leaves were crunching underfoot close by.

The next thing King and Ram heard was the shutter of a camera click. King and Ram both turned to the noise and found themselves face to face with Aranya and three guys from her team. Ram stepped in front of King with an intimidating look on his face as King narrowed his eyes, looking at Aranya over Ram's shoulder.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”, Aranya said as she and the three guys started walking towards King and Ram.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:
> 
> This chapter was not what I initially planned. My mind went away with me. I hope it turned out okay and wasn't too disjointed.
> 
> Credit is given to the series YYY for Nott and Pun's special guest appearance. Their look was taken from the scene in the elevator in Episode 3. I kind of liked their friendship with King.
> 
> Translation of the My Engineer Episode 13 scenes was a bit modified from the ones on the actual episode.
> 
> I honestly especially liked the title of this chapter for some reason. Thought it was appropriate. LOL
> 
> I really apologize for the delay of this chapter. Work was rough this past week and I was lacking time to really write what I wanted to. I hope it will get better over time. Thanks in advance for your understanding and I really hope you enjoy this chapter and that it's not terrible. If it's bad, I'm so sorry!


	23. True Love is Worth Fighting For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram face-off against Aranya and her three team members. Aranya makes threats and King tries to convince them to not follow through on Aranay's plans for revenge against him and Ram.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not getting this out earlier! It was mostly done by Tuesday, but I kept on falling asleep while I was editing. My goal was to finish it tonight, so here it is!
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

Aranya and the three guys started walking towards King and Ram. Ram tried to read his opponents. Phet and Sud were about the same height and build as King. The last guy was Lue, the one who Aranya had wanted to go with King instead of Ram. He was a little taller and bulkier than King and looked like he worked out. Ram was looking for any tension, watched how they were breathing, and tried to identify any weaknesses. Ram gave his usual stoic look at them but was trying to keep his body relaxed to keep the guys from being able to predict what he might do.

Ram was in front of King, wanting to take the brunt of whatever Aranya and her goons were going to throw at them. Ram wasn’t really worried about the three guys. He was more worried about King getting hurt. 

King knew Ram was trying to protect him because of his head injury, but he didn’t want Ram to get hurt either. King knew he had to think of something to keep the situation from escalating. King put his hand on Ram’s shoulder to steady himself as he looked in Aranya’s direction and did what he did best.

“Hold on, Aranya. Don’t come any closer. Let’s talk this out,” King stated as he put his hands up and moved to Ram’s side. King had to identify what her real issue was to figure out how to respond to her. Aranya stopped to address King.

“Talk this out? Are you kidding me? You and this Nong embarrassed me in front of the whole engineering faculty, maybe even the whole university!”, Aranya shrieked.

King had to keep her talking to figure out what to do or for their friends to realize that they were missing. He was hoping that if he acted like he didn’t know anything, she would talk so much that she would buy them some time. 

“What do you mean? There were only a few students at the tree planting site this morning that saw what happened. A number of them are here right now,” King pointed out as he gestured his arms widely towards him and Ram then Aranya and her guys.

“A few students?”, Aranya yelled. She showed her phone to Ram and King and played the video of their confrontation. 

She continued, “This video was posted on the Engineering Faculty page. You made me look stupid in front of everyone! Do you know how many views this video has gotten? Thousands already! There are people making fun of me and laughing at me in the comments. It’s so bad that they are making GIFs and memes of me.” 

Aranya scrolled through the comments and showed her screen to Ram and King again. The looping GIF showed Aranya running into Ram and landing on her ass while the words, “Someone’s butthurt!” flashed across the top of it. King and Ram tried not to laugh. 

I can’t show my face at school without being ridiculed and it’s both your fault and you both are going to pay.” Aranya pointed at them and looked ready to kill. Her group started moving towards Ram and King.

Ram brought his arm out to push King back a step. King squeezed Ram’s shoulder to let him know he was still there trying to work the issue.

“Hold on, Aranya. We didn’t post the video. You should get mad at the person who posted the video, “ King suggested. Ram nodded in agreement.

“They wouldn’t have posted it if you hadn’t caused me to fall down,” Aranya said. King sighed. Ram looked at King and then looked at Aranya and the other guys, who looked ready to pounce. He needed to watch their every move.

“Aranya, think about what you are saying. We weren’t the ones who attacked you. You were going to attack me. Nong Ram just stepped in front of you before you could. It wasn’t his fault that you bounced off of him because he is rock solid,” King stated, realizing he was slightly admiring Ram from behind, but Aranya interrupted his train of thought.

“Oh no, you both embarrassed me even before I fell on my ass. This Nong especially needs to get beat down. He picked you over me in more ways than one”, Aranya said. Ram and King looked at each other confused and then looked at Aranya.

“What are you talking about? He just chose me as team leader," King asked. 

“No, I was being pretty obvious that I was interested in him. He didn’t respond to any of my advances. I was flirting with him when he got on my team and he rejected me. Nobody has ever rejected me!”, Aranya said. King thought that Bohn had totally rejected her but didn't say it out loud. 

“Aranya, think about what you were doing though. What you were doing wasn’t innocent flirting to get his attention. You were touching him inappropriately, putting your boobs on him, and propositioning him. That's sexual harassment. He did not want your sexual advances or your touches. You can’t force someone into doing something they do not want to do!”, King asserted.

“I do whatever I need to in order to get what I want. Everyone knows I always get what I want,” Aranya said.

"Well, your way obviously didn't work, "King concluded. 

" That's what pissed me off!", Aranya admitted. 

“So, you're going to attack us because you have a bruised ego? Can’t you just let it go? You have these other guys here. You don't need this Nong”, King asked as he gestured to Ram. 

“No, I can’t. Nong Ram humiliated and degraded me by picking you instead of me. He picked wrong,” Aranya explained.

“No, I didn’t,” Ram finally spoke.

Aranya continued, “Nong, people are going to think that something is wrong with me because you picked King over this!”, Aranya stated as she swiped her hand across her body to show her figure like she had something Ram would want. She nodded at her guys to start walking towards Ram and King. Ram was getting ready to fight and leaned over to King.

“Run”, Ram whispered to King.

“No way! I’m not going to let you fight them alone!”, King whispered back. King tried to distract her.

“Stop Aranya. Do you think that beating us up is going to make you look good at all? It’s going to make your situation worse,” King stated.

“I don’t care. I just want you both to suffer the same humiliation and embarrassment that I have!", Aranya shouted in frustration.

"It just doesn’t make any sense to me why you would pick him over me, “Aranya said as she looked at King with disgust.

“I would pick P’King over you any day,” Ram informed Aranya adamantly. She fumed.

“It’s pretty obvious why you picked P’King over me since I got a picture of you guys sucking face. Nobody knows that you both are in a relationship, right? What would happen if your friends or your family found out? You both would experience the same humiliation that I had,” Aranya stated, then laughed wickedly when King interrupted her. 

“Go ahead and do whatever you want. We were going to come out to our family and friends anyway. If you think that will humiliate us, you’re wrong,” King said. Ram looked at Aranya and nodded in agreement.

“Fine. Done,” Aranya said as she posted the picture of King and Ram kissing on the Engineering Faculty page and showed it to the couple. Aranya observed Ram and King's upset and felt some satisfaction. 

Ram and King were pissed and disappointed. They wanted to come out on their own terms and she ruined it for them. Ram reached out to grab King’s hand and rubbed his thumb over King’s fingers. Aranya continued to observe them and saw two people who seemed to support and care for each other. Aranya was still confused about them.

“I still don’t get it. Why King?,” Aranya said, looking deflated at that moment.

Ram looked at King and held his gaze for a second before seriously looking at Aranya. Ram doesn’t usually want to talk to people he is not close to but he felt the need to defend King and help King with buying them time.

“P’Aranya, P’King has many good qualities. He is very smart. He is the top of the Engineering Faculty. He has a good personality. He’s funny and outgoing. He treats people nicely and with respect. He cares for people and things. He makes people feel good about themselves…,” Ram spouted off before he was interrupted.

“I have a lot of those qualities, too!”, Aranya exclaimed. Ram shook his head.

“But there is one thing I know for a fact that you don’t have that P’King does,” Ram added.

“Impossible. What does he have that I don’t have?”, Aranya asked.

Ram turned to look lovingly into King’s eyes before he brought King’s hand up to his lips to kiss it and declared, “My heart.” King felt like his heart was full and overflowing. He felt the same way and smiled at Ram adoringly.

Aranya looked at the couple, who were gazing adoringly at each other, and was furious beyond reason. She looked to the three guys next to her.

“Well then let’s break your heart! Grab King!”, Aranya screamed. 

**************

As soon as Ram heard Aranya’s command, Ram stood in front of King. There was no way he would allow anyone to touch a hair on King’s head. Ram was afraid that Aranya was going to use King as leverage to get him to do what she wants. There was no way he was going to give her the opportunity. Ram watched the three guys closely to anticipate what they were going to do next. Ram knew that King wanted to fight also, but he couldn’t let him do that. King was still recovering from his head injury from the park and his head hitting the rock yesterday near the waterfall. King didn’t need to get punched in the head to make things worse. 

King was concerned about what three guys would do to him once they grabbed him. He again tried to convince them to reconsider. 

“Are you Nongs seriously going to listen to Aranya? If you guys hurt me, things will be worse for you. You could lose your academic career or even go to jail. Do you want that? Is what she is offering you really worth losing so much more?”, King said to persuade the three students to stop what they were going to do.

Aranya whispered in Phet, Sud, and Lue’s ears and they seemed more motivated to fight for Aranya. When it appeared that they were going to continue with Aranya’s plan, King surprised Ram by moving from behind Ram to beside him.

“What are you doing? Get behind me!”, Ram yelled.

“There is no way I’m going to let you fight them on your own. If we are going to have to fight, we are going to fight them together,” King said, boring his eyes into Ram’s. Ram sighed and nodded.

“Okay, but follow my lead,” Ram instructed King as he pushed his arm out to move King a few steps back. Ram really had no intention of getting King involved in the fight, but King didn’t have to know that. 

King, on the other hand, was trying to remember Wing Chun moves from all the Ip Man movies he has watched as well as the boxing combinations from his workout with Ram. His line of thought was interrupted by Ram speaking up again.

Ram looked at the three guys intimidatingly and said, “Are you sure you want to do this? I’m giving you the option to walk away now before you get hurt.”

The three guys looked at Ram and laughed. Ram was serious.

King chimed in, “Aranya, seriously think about what you are doing. I understand you are embarrassed because he picked me over you. I get it. You have a reputation of being this girl that everyone wants to get with. You are embarrassed about being rejected and for falling down when he blocked you from attacking me. For revenge, you are commanding these guys to attack us. This will not solve anything. Think about what will happen if you beat us up. It will be bad for you.”

Ram noticed that Lue was standing behind Aranya while the other two were already starting to move towards Ram and King. Ram had a plan on how to deal with the two first before he got to Lue.

“We are in the middle of the forest, King. Everyone is at the tree planting site. Nobody is going to suspect that sweet, beautiful Aranya would harm anyone. By the time we are done with you, we will be back at the tree planting site like we never left. You’ll be stuck in the forest for hours and we will be long gone,” Aranya said happily, proud of her plan. 

King made one final attempt at getting the guys to see reason, ”I'm assuming she promised each one of you different things, even maybe the same thing. Are you guys really okay with the arrangement she has with each of you? You three are okay with sharing her? Nongs, think about what you're doing and the impact it will have on your life. Do you really want to go to jail for her?”

The guys looked at Aranya who gave each of them a sultry look. She nodded her head towards Ram and King encouraging them to do her will.

Ram offered the three guys an out again, “I’m telling you right now. You are going to get hurt. I am asking you one last time to consider backing out. You can walk away now if you want.”

Sud responded, “You are just trying to intimidate us to keep us from fighting you. I saw you fight P’Bohn. I can take you.” 

Ram was happy Sud thought that way. When he had fought Bohn, he actually was holding back because he really didn’t want Bohn to get hurt. He just wanted to see if Bohn was serious about Duen. He also didn’t want his best friend to get mad at him for hurting his boyfriend. 

Ram looked at the three in front of him, “I’m asking you one last time. Are you sure you want to fight me? This is your last chance to walk away so you don’t get hurt.” King observed how strong and confident Ram looked at that moment. King thought Ram looked so hot but it was not the time or the place to have those thoughts. He shook his head and was ready to follow whatever Ram wanted to do.

Lue responded this time, “The ones who will be getting hurt will be you. When we are done with you, you won’t be recognizable. You are going to watch us pulverize P’King before we do the same to you!”

Ram was calm and collected as he stated, “If this is what you want, I warned you.” 

Aranya laughed hysterically and said, “There are three of them and two of you. They are bigger and stronger than you two. Just wait for your beat down! You’ll be getting what you deserve! 

King looked at Aranya and her guys with disbelief. Ram was a semi-pro boxer and has trained in various forms of martial arts. Aranya should have done her research. She had no clue who she was dealing with.

*****************

Sud and Phet were starting to move forward to attack King, but Ram was in front of them. Ram started backing King up towards the foliage.

“Stay a few steps behind me, but try to avoid being attacked,” Ram whispered to King before he turned to see Sud and Phet moving slowly towards him. 

“Where are you going to go?,” Sud said and laughed. Ram had them where he wanted them. He had gotten them farther from Lue and Aranya so Ram could deal with the two smaller guys first. King was near the foliage and a few trees. The only way that Phet and Sud would get to King would be to go through Ram.

Sud decided to try to attack Ram first on his right side to get him out of the way so he could get to King. Ram controlled his position by moving laterally from side to side. Ram could see that Phet was coming towards King on his left. Ram had to try to change his position, so he took some of Sud’s hits to the body before Sud threw a straight right at Ram. Ram was able to dodge it and quickly threw a right and left jab at Sud’s chest and stomach causing Sud to bend over, then grabbed Sud’s head and neck with both of his arms in a Muay Thai clinch. Ram then spun Sud to the left to block Phet’s path towards King. King was ready to fight, just in case, but Ram was blocking anyone from coming towards him.

Ram kneed Sud in the stomach with his right leg. At the next moment, Phet rushed Ram on his left but Ram threw a push kick to his stomach and Phet fell a few feet backward. Ram quickly elbowed Sud in the head, kneed him in the face, and threw Sud against the tree before Sud fell to the ground. 

Phet got off the ground and rushed at King but Ram was faster and was able to get in front of him. King moved to get out of the way as Phet started throwing punches at Ram. Ram was trying to parry some of the punches as he started backing up. When he was able to make some space between him and Phet, he planted his body, turned, and threw a straight right into Phet’s chest as he was coming close to him. Ram then threw a double jab and a straight cross at Phet's face. Phet attempted to fight back but Ram was faster as he faked a jab and stepped in for a cross, threw a left hook to Phet’s body, then went in between Phet’s arms to land a left uppercut to Phet’s chin. A dazed Phet saw Ram’s straight right coming at his face before he was knocked to the ground.

King was standing near the foliage in shock that Ram got two of the three guys out of the way within minutes. He knew Ram was good at boxing, but King was in awe.

Aranya, surprised at the turn of the events, turned to Lue and yelled, “Do something!”

Although Lue was bigger than Ram and King, he was slow and bulky, so Ram was ready for him. When Lue got close enough, he threw three alternating punches at Ram, who easily evaded them. After the third one, Ram moved off to the side of Lue, pivoted so he was facing Lue’s side, and threw two hard hooks to Lue’s head and then to his body. Lue shifted his body to face Ram but Ram was quicker and did a combination of jabs, hooks, crosses, and uppercuts that were so quick that Lue didn’t know what hit him. Lue couldn’t breathe and was in pain from all the punches to his body but did try to throw a punch with his left hand, but Ram dodged it. Ram threw a hard right hook to Lue’s body and then a right uppercut to Lue’s chin like he was Mike Tyson. Lue fell to the ground, knocked out, and down for the count.

**********************

Aranya was shocked and screamed in frustration as she saw the guys on the ground. Ram turned to look at her but was not aware that Sud had gotten up and was moving towards him in anger. 

King saw Sud before Ram did and rushed to block Ram from the attack. Ram turned and watched in horror as Sud put his hands up to push King. As Sud attempted to push King out of the way, King relaxed his right shoulder like a rag doll to allow Sud to move past him, stuck his right leg out to trip him, and turned swiftly to push Sud hard, face-first to the ground near Ram’s feet. Sud didn’t get up, still weak from the damage Ram had given him earlier. Ram looked down at Sud and then looked up at King, who looked surprised that he was still unharmed and had saved Ram from the attack.

Ram jumped over Sud's body and rushed to King pulling him into an embrace. King put his arms around Ram's waist and squeezed him tightly. Ram loosened his hold to look at King and opened his mouth to say something but got cut off by an excited King. 

"Did you see that? Oh, man! I feel so pumped up! I saved you, Cool Boy!", King exclaimed. 

"Yes, you did! Thanks! That was an awesome move!”, Ram said proudly. 

" Do I get a reward?", King asked, eyebrows raised. 

" Of course!", Ram responded.

Ram grabbed King’s face with his hands and brought his lips to King’s lips. The warmth of Ram’s hands on his face and Ram’s lips on King’s lips spread throughout King’s body. Ram ended the kiss and leaned back to look at King before leaning in to rub his nose against King’s. He leaned back but King stopped him by bringing both of his hands up to Ram’s face. He leaned forward to rub his nose against Ram’s nose, then brought his lips up to kiss Ram’s nose. 

“Are you okay?”, Ram asked as he backed up and looked King over for any cuts or injuries.

“I’m good, Cool Boy. Are you okay?”, King asked. Ram nodded. King grabbed Ram’s wrist and turned to face Aranya together. They were surprised at what they saw.

********************

While Ram and King were checking on each other, Aranya tried to make a hasty escape. Unfortunately for her, the path out was blocked.

Nott, Pun, Mek, Boss, Tang, Phu, and a few other volunteers were blocking Aranya’s path from leaving. Pun, Tang, and some of the other volunteers had their phones pointed at them seemingly recording what was happening. King and Ram moved closer to the group to find out what was going on.

“Get out of my way! Let me through”, Aranya yelled. 

“No way! You are not going anywhere after what you did to King and Nong Ram,” Nott informed Aranya. 

“You can’t keep me here!”, Aranya shrieked and stomped her foot.

“Don’t worry! You will be leaving shortly!” someone yelled from behind the group.

*********************

Ram and King watched as Tee had come up to the group with several Forestry Officers. Pun and Tang went up to the lead officer as the other officers took hold of Aranya, and picked up Lue, Sud, and Phet off the forest floor. Aranya tried to flirt with the officer to let her go and was surprised that he also resisted her charms.

“We got Aranya’s motive and command to harm King and Nong Ram on video,” Pun shared as he showed the video recording on his phone with the lead officer.

Tang added, “I recorded the attack from Aranya’s men and Ram acting in self-defense,” as he showed the officer his video.

The lead officer was appreciative of the videos and instructed the two on how to send the videos to him. He then went up to Ram and King and asked them to stop by the Volunteer Camp Building to give their statements after they got their injuries looked at.

As Aranya, Lue, Sud, and Phet were led down the path by police officers past Ram and King, Ram shook his head at how beat up they looked. 

“They really should have listened to you and walked away,” King commented. Ram nodded in agreement. 

The other volunteers who were there talked animatedly about what they witnessed as they followed the officers and walked towards the tree planting site

Nott, Pun, Tee, Mek, Boss, Phu, and Tang watched Aranya and her goons leave and then looked at King and Ram. Nott had his arm around Pun’s shoulders and both were smiling at the couple. Tee, Mek, Boss, Phu, and Tang were studying Ram and King seriously. 

King looked back at them confused before realizing he was still holding Ram’s wrist. He let go abruptly and looked back at him and Ram’s friends like he had not been holding onto Ram.

“So, how did you guys know we were in danger and to come to find us?”, King asked to break the ice as he looked at Ram briefly before looking back at their friends.

“Maybe you and Nong Ram here should answer our question first. Is there something you want to tell us?”, Boss asked as he brought his phone up and showed Aranya’s picture of King and Ram holding each other and kissing in the shady grove. Mek, Boss, Tee, Tang, and Phu looked at the picture and then at Ram and King, patiently waiting for an answer. 

King and Ram turned their heads to look into each other's eyes. Ram raised his eyebrows in question, as King answered with a slight nod before he raised his eyebrows. Ram nodded at King in agreement before they faced their friends. King took a deep breath and let it out, then opened his mouth to speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty bummed that Aranya posted that picture of Ram and King. She's so evil!
> 
> I hope this chapter turned out okay. I'm sorry if the fighting scenes were lame. I can imagine them in my head and hopefully was able to describe them as best as I could. 
> 
> More to be explained as to how their friends found Ram and King in the forest in the next chapter! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	24. Love Is What Makes You Smile When You Are Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ram and King face their friends and make a decision about coming out about their relationship. Ram and King find out how their friends discovered they were in danger. Ram and King get checked out for injuries, make their statements to the police, and finally get some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extremely sorry about the delay. The last 2 weeks at work have been terrible and am hoping that this weekend will finally reset everything so I can go back to at least once a week update. 
> 
> This chapter has a lot of dialogue. Despite it being over 6000 words, it can kind of be seen as a filler to the hopefully exciting stuff that will be happening in the next few chapters. There was a lot to cover! Sorry for any typos or grammatical mistakes!
> 
> Disclaimer: There are some derogatory and discriminatory comments made by a fictional character and were used only for the plot of the story. The views and opinions expressed by the fictional character do not, in any way, reflect those of the author. 
> 
> Happy Reading!

Mek, Boss, Tee, Tang, and Phu waited patiently to see if Ram and King were going to explain the picture of their kiss. Nott and Pun were standing on the side of the group, looking from Ram and King and their friends, engaged and interested in the scene. Nott and Pun wished they had some popcorn as they watched the scene play out. 

Their friends watch as King and Ram have a silent conversation with each other before facing them. King takes a deep breath and lets it out, then opens his mouth to speak.

“So…,” King starts and looks at Ram. Ram grabs his hand and holds it before looking at King with a reassuring smile. King knows that telling their friends should not be a big deal, but it sort of was. This was the first relationship he has ever had since he has been friends with them. Ram was just as nervous as he was for the same reason, but he was reassured by the fact that his friends have said they would support their relationship.

“So, Cool Boy and I are together…,” King says as he gets cut off by their friends screaming and yelling at the same time.

“Finally!”, stated Mek. 

“I knew it!”, exclaimed Tang.

YAY!”, yelled Boss, Phu, Nott, and Pun.

Then, a voice distinctly called out.

“I won! I can’t believe it! I won!”, Tee yelled. The rest of the group groaned. 

Boss handed Tee the money, who started counting it with a huge smile on his face.

“I was hoping they wouldn’t say anything until tomorrow morning, “ Tang admitted.

Boss chimed in with a frown on his face, “I thought they were going to hold out until King had to leave to his Grandma’s house on Friday.” King and Ram looked at their friends confused.

“Hold on. What are you guys talking about?”, King asked.

Their friends simultaneously yelled, “Nothing” and avoided looking at King or Ram in the eye.

“You guys bet on when we would tell you guys we were together?”, Ram asked.

King and Ram’s friends nodded their heads.

“While you both left to talk after breakfast, we decided to place bets. Tee had said you would admit it mid-afternoon today. He won,” Boss stated.

“Honestly, did you think you could hide it from us? It was so obvious!”, Tee said. 

“We figured there was a reason you didn’t want to tell us yet, so we were willing to wait for you to tell us on your own,“ Tang shared. Ram and King’s friends all nodded their heads. They all wanted to support King and Ram as much as possible.

Phu added, “We’re sorry about what happened with Aranya. She shouldn’t have posted that picture of you both on the Engineer Faculty page. Are you guys okay?” King and Ram both nodded somberly. 

“I think we are just bummed out that we couldn’t tell everyone about our relationship on our terms,” King admitted. Ram nodded.

“Well, regardless, we support you and are happy for you guys! Congratulations!”, Mek said as he patted Ram and King’s arms. The rest of their friends came up to them to express their support and encouragement for their relationship.

“Thanks, guys!", Kind said as Ram agreed with a smile and a nod.

"I am a bit confused though. How did you know we were in trouble?”, King asked as all their friends stopped and looked at them and then at each other. Nobody was starting, so Nott spoke up.

******************

Nott and Pun looked at the group and shared their perspective of the situation.

“We can start. After we had lunch and King left us to go find Nong Ram, Pun and I took our time walking back to the tree planting site. We were walking down the dirt road when we saw King talking to Nong Ram and then saw King pull him into the forest. We figured that they were going to talk about the confrontation with Aranya. Pun had to stop for a second to tie his shoes, but then something caught our attention, “Nott shared.

“Aranya and three guys were walking back to camp as we were walking to the tree planting site. That seemed weird since we were all going there and there was no reason for them to be going in the other direction. We decided to be nosy and follow them at a distance,” Pun reported. Nott remembered not liking the look on Aranya’s face walking back towards camp. She looked like she was pissed and was on a mission. 

King wasn’t surprised that Nott and Pun were looking out for them. Ram was looking at Pun closely and was a bit put off that he looked so much like King. Although Pun was different from King, it was still uncanny. Ram continued to listen to their story.

Nott continued, “We watched as Aranya went up to people going to the tree planting site as if she was looking for somebody. We saw somebody point to Nong Ram’s friends and watched as she went up to them. The Nongs pointed her back down the road and in the direction of where you guys were, and we watched Aranya and her team head to that area.”

Everyone’s heads turn to look at Phu and Tang, who looked sheepish.

****************

Tang and Phu both felt bad about the situation. They had no clue that Aranya was going to do anything to harm Ram and King. 

Phu disclosed, “P’Aranya introduced herself and told us that she was looking for Ram since he was part of her team and P’King, the team leader for tools. She said Tee sent them to look for P’King and Ram to get some tasks done. We didn’t think anything of it.”

“She had acted so sweet and called us handsome. She was smiling at us and batting her eyes at us. We didn’t realize that she was lying to us and we just told her. We are so sorry,” Tang admitted.

“It’s okay. You didn’t know,” Ram reassured his friends. King nodded in agreement.

“We had watched as Nong Phu and Nong Tang headed back towards the tree planting site. As Aranya and her guys went into the forest, we followed them to see what they would do and to make sure you two were okay, “ Nott said. 

“Nott and I hid in the trees behind Aranya and those guys as she walked towards the both of you. We saw her take the picture of you kissing. It was pretty hot by the way!”, Pun said as Nott glared at him and was about to smack him in the head, but Pun ducked.

Pun continued, “When King encouraged Aranya to talk, we decided that I would videotape the conversation in case she starts making false accusations against you both. When she started making threats and then posted the picture of you kissing, Nott contacted Tee,” Pun explained. Everyone turned their heads and looked at King’s friends. Tee, Mek, and Boss looked at each other.

****************

Tee spoke for King’s friends, “I was overseeing the tree planting and Mek and Boss were planting trees when someone shared the post from the Engineering Faculty page. As soon as we got the notification, we all watched the video. I went up to Mek and Boss about it and suddenly thought about finding Aranya because she was going to be pissed. When I went searching for her and her team, they were nowhere to be found, and that’s when I knew something was wrong. We got a second notification with Aranya’s post of King and Ram kissing and we knew that she was up to no good. Luckily, Nott messaged me about the threats and location and encouraged us to pick up Nong Phu and Nong Tang since they knew the location as well.”

Tang chimed in and spoke to Ram, “Ting Ting had shared with us the confrontation while we were planting trees. We were shocked at how she behaved. We realized that something was happening because P’Tee, P’Mek, and P’Boss were running around. They eventually came looking for us. That’s when we got a second notification from Ting Ting about the post of you both kissing. Aranya had found you and the seniors wanted to get over there since she had three guys with her likely brought with her to harm you.”

Mek added, “The Nongs took Boss and me down the dirt road to the path you guys were on while Tee made some calls to the Volunteer Camp Building about who they would call for help in case something did happen. We found Nott and Pun hiding behind some trees and bushes watching the whole scene. 

Boss spoke up finally, “I was going to rush in there to help fight but Nong Tang told us to wait and see what happens first because he said Nong Ram was a really good fighter. I thought Bohn and Nong Ram’s fight was good, but Nong Ram kicked their asses!” 

“P’King also did a good job knocking Sud down at the end. I thought he was going to catch Ram unawares...” Phu commented. Tang interrupted and continued the story.

“So, I decided to get a second point of view of the fight to show that Aranya’s guys were attacking first and that Ram was acting in self-defense. Hopefully, the videos will help prove that Aranya was at fault”, Tang added.

“Unfortunately, some of the other volunteers caught wind that something was going on and found their way over here to check it out”, Mek shared.

Phu was looking at his phone and noticed another post on the Engineering Faculty page. Phu sighed loudly and interrupted, “The fight was posted on the page.” 

Phu brought up his phone for everyone to see and Ram, King, and their friends leaned in to watch Ram throw Sud towards the tree and kick Phet. 

“Well, there’s not much we can do about that now. We’ll have to find out what the administration will do about the videos. Since it is a school break, they may not be checking the Faculty page. We’ll have to wait and see what happens when we get back to classes next week”, King said. King was a bit worried about how people were going to respond to everything that happened.

“Don’t worry, King and Nong Ram. We will support you and back you up as needed, “ Mek declared. All their friends nodded their heads in agreement. 

“Thanks, guys! We appreciate it!” , King responded. Ram nodded.

*********************

Ram looked at the group and noticed that some of his friends were missing. 

“Where’s Ting Ting and Duen?”, Ram asked.

“Yeah, where’s Bohn?”, King asked, also noticing that his best friend was not there.

Tang answered, “Ting Ting was with Duen taking pictures when Bohn had come up to them. She had left them to give them privacy and went with some other volunteers to the tree planting site. I’m assuming Bohn and Duen are together. Let me tell Ting Ting that we are going to head back.” 

Tang sent a text to Ting Ting and got one back. He looked at it, sighed, and showed it to Phu. They looked at each other then looked at Ram and King.

“Ram, speaking for Ting Ting, do you really want to go out with P’King?”, Tang asked. Ram’s friends were so predictable. Ram looked at King and back to his friends and nodded adamantly. Ram prepared himself for what was coming.

“Okay, if you want to go out with P’King, we won’t stop you...,” Phu said.

“...but he has to pass our tests first,” Tang stated. Ram knew they were going to do this. Ram was unhappy but he knew it was inevitable.

“Ram don’t get all upset. We do not plan to do anything too bad to P’King because we like him and we all think he is a good guy and good for you”, Phu clarified to Ram. Nott and Pun were completely interested in what was going on. They wanted to know what the tests were. 

“It’s only fair that we put P’King through tests just like Bohn did for Duen” Tang reiterated. Ram shook his head, disliking the idea, but nodded in acceptance.

King looked at Ram, “Cool Boy. It’s okay. I’ll do the tests. If my best friend can do it for Duen, I can do it for you. You’re worth it.” Tang was glad Ting Ting was not there because she would be screaming like a fangirl. 

“Are you sure, P’?”, Ram asked. King nodded and squeezed Ram’s hand. Mek, Boss, Tee, Nott, and Pun waited to see what was going to happen next.

Tang said, “We will think about your tests and talk to you about it after you go to the first aid station and after you make your statements. You both look like you should get checked out,” Tang said as he sent a text on his phone and got a text back. 

“Oh, I texted P’Thara to look you over since he is the only medical student we have around. He stated he will meet you at the First Aid Station in 5 minutes. We’ll see you at the tree planting site”, Tang informed them. Ram and King nodded. 

“Nongs, please let us know when you start doing the tests. We’d like to watch, “Nott stated. The other seniors expressed the same desire. King glared at his friends.

“Don’t worry, P’King. I don’t think the tests are going to be that bad. We like you too much to do anything mean to you,” Phu admitted and then said, “We’re going to head out.” Ram gave his friends a nod goodbye and Tang and Phu wai’d all their seniors before walking down the path towards the dirt road and back to the tree planting site. 

Tee and the rest of King’s friends told them to take care and started heading towards the path also. Tee stopped in front of them.

“We are going to head back to the tree planting site and check on the volunteers’ progress. Let us know if you guys need anything. Hopefully, we will see you back at the site to plant some more trees,” Tee informed them. King nodded his head and thanked him.

King and Ram watched their friends leave. Ram was watching King closely and realized that King looked tired and a little pale. King was about to move towards the path himself before Ram pulled him into a hug. 

“Are you okay?”, Ram asked. Ram was worried that King may have overdone it with the fight and the stress of the situation.

“I’m fine, Cool Boy! Don’t worry! I’m just a little light-headed and have a slight headache. Let’s go get this over with, ” King answered. Ram nodded.

King and Ram walked a bit dazed out of the forest down the dirt path, pondering quietly about what had happened in the last hour or so. Before they knew it, they were standing in front of the first aid station.

*******************

King and Ram stood in front of the door of the first aid station. Ram looked worriedly at King because King continued to look pale. King kept on bringing his hand up to touch his head and squeezing his eyes shut as if he were in pain. King looked at Ram and straightened up, acting like he was okay. He observed Ram and noticed that Ram’s left arm was holding on to his right side. While they looked at each other, they heard someone coming up to the building behind them.

“You two again? Let’s go inside and check your injuries,” Thara suggested as he walked past them, opened the door, and welcomed them inside. He washed and dried his hands and then put some medical gloves on. Thara was happily making small talk with Ram and King.

“Cupcake and I are having such a good time on the trip. I let him out to run around the tent last night. You should have seen Nong Frong playing with Cupcake. It was so cute! I think Cupcake has a new friend!”, Thara expressed joyfully. King and Ram looked at each other and laughed a little. Frong and Thara seemed cute together.

“So, Who’s first?”, Thara asked as he looked at his two patients. “ Nong Ram, did I hear you got into a fight? Are you guys okay?” 

Ram and King nodded. 

“Let me see Nong Ram first,” Thara decided and continued, “For being in a fight, you have a few cuts on your knuckles and some bruised ribs. I’m going to clean up your cuts and give you an ice pack and some over the counter pain medication. You need to take it easy and get some rest. Don’t stand for long periods because standing will put pressure on your ribs. No working out for a little while and try to avoid physical activity that will make the pain worse. You don’t have to stop all movement, but you got to take it easy. It is okay to do some light stretching once you are feeling better, “ Thara told Ram. King listened attentively to what Thara was saying. He hadn’t realized that Ram had gotten that hurt during the fight.

“P’, I feel fine. It doesn’t hurt that bad,” Ram said. Ram was a little sore, but nothing he hasn’t dealt with before. 

“Nong, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Please see a doctor when you get back to university if you start feeling worse, especially if you have difficulty breathing or have pain in your chest, okay?” Thara instructed Ram as he looked at King.

“Nong King, I’m assuming you will make sure that Nong Ram doesn’t overdo it and gets some rest?”

“Of course! I’ll make sure he gets some rest,” King said. Thara finished up bandaging the cuts on Ram’s knuckles and handed him an ice pack to put on his bruised ribs before addressing his next patient.

“Okay, Nong King, how are you feeling? Have you been keeping your stitches dry and getting rest?”, Thara asked. Ram eyed King and watched him closely. Ram wondered if King would fess up to Thara about him falling into the water. King figured it may be better just to be honest.

“My head has been hurting since yesterday. I also had a bit of a fever last night…”, King started. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Ram, who was encouraging him to disclose more.

“P, I sort of fell in the water yesterday and hit my head against a rock,” King admitted guiltily.

“Thanks for letting me know, “ Thara said. Thara got a thermometer and checked King’s temperature and other vitals. He then took the bandage off King’s stitches to look at it. Ram craned his neck to try to see it as well.

“It looks like your stitch site is a little infected. I’m going to clean it and remove the pus that is present. I’m also going to give you some antibiotic cream, but if your stitches become red or you feel like they are swollen, more painful, or are oozing pus or blood, please come in to see a doctor, okay?,” Thara instructed. King nodded. Thara looked at Ram.

“Nong Ram, I trust that you will also make sure that Nong King doesn’t overdo it and will get some rest?,” Thara asked. Ram nodded. Thara gave them the antibiotic cream as well as some pain medication in case King needed it. He encouraged them to come to find him if they need anything. Ram and King thanked Thara, took all their medication, and planned to put it in their tent when Thara stopped them.

“Where are you guys going now?”, Thara asked.

“P’, we have to go to the Volunteer Camp Building to give our statements about the fight. We were planning to go back to the tree planting site afterward,” King told Thara. Thara shook his head to disagree.

“I understand that you both need to make your statements now, so go ahead and do that, but I wouldn’t recommend you both going back to the tree planting site. Although Ram’s not too badly bruised, after all that has happened today, I think it would be better if you both get some rest. You probably should not stand or bend too long...”, Thara said as he pointed at Ram. He then pointed at King.

“...and you have an infection, so I want you to inform Nong Tee that you guys are done for today and that you will be resting in your tents until dinner. Doctor’s orders,” Thara said as he looked at both of them sternly.

King was bummed about not being able to plant any more trees, but he did plant for a few hours and had planted around 45 on his own. Ram, concerned about King, was glad that King was being forced to rest and that he would get to do so, too. He was tired and he wanted to spend time with King, so it was a win-win.

Ram and King both nodded in agreement. Thara was satisfied.

“Let me know if you guys need anything, okay? Ram and King thanked Thara and headed to their tent to drop off their medication. They then headed out of the campsite towards the Volunteer Camp Building at a slow pace, making sure they weren’t overdoing it.

**********************

King and Ram finally got to the Volunteer Camp Building and checked in at the front desk. They both waited in the waiting room for someone to collect them. King looked at Ram.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”, King asked as he took out his phone to look at it. The fight was so fast that he wasn’t paying attention to what was happening with Ram. He was trying to protect himself, too! All that King remembered was Ram punching those guys and hadn’t realized that he was taking punches.

“I’m fine,” Ram uttered. He honestly did not feel that bad. Ram has been beaten up a lot worse, but he understood that he did need to be careful or his condition could get worse. 

“How is this fine?”, King asked, upset. King showed someone’s post of the video of Ram taking hits from Sud.

“You didn’t even block him from punching you!”, King deduced from watching the video. He didn’t understand why Ram just let Sud punch him and showed Ram the part of the video where Ram took some hard punches on his right side.

“P’King...”, Ram said as he looked at King sulking and grabbed his hand, “My King, please calm down,” King stilled at the term of endearment and looked up at Ram, with his eyes under his fringe. Ram thought King was being so cute right now. He moved King’s bangs off his forehead with his other hand.

“I’m really fine. I had to give him a sense that he was doing well to then catch him off guard and in a position where I could get the upper hand. It was worth it to keep you from being harmed”, Ram said honestly. King was touched by how protective Ram was of him, but he wanted to protect Ram just as much.

At that moment, one of the Forestry officers asked them to follow him to an office where they met the lead officer, Officer Maekwatana. He explained the procedure and had both Ram and King fill out their statements. When they were done, the lead officer asked them some questions.

“Did any of you sustain any injuries from the assault?”

King spoke up for Ram, “Nong Ram had cuts on his knuckles from defending himself and bruised ribs.” Ram nodded.

“How about you?”, the Officer Maekwatana asked.

“I had some lightheadedness and a headache after the fight, but I don’t think it was related to the assault since nobody laid a finger on me,” King admitted. Officer Maekwatana continued to write down the answers to his questions.

“Do you get lightheadedness and headaches often?”, he asked. 

“No, “King answered, “I injured my head two days ago. 

“Well, I am going to have both of you sign an authorization to release information so we can speak to your doctor about your injuries and the possible impact of the altercation on your condition. Would that be okay?”

“Sure,” King said. Ram nodded. Officer Maekwatana had King and Ram fill out another form and sign it.

“One last thing for both of you. Did you feel that Ms. Leekpai, Aranya, acted in any way that would have suggested that she wanted to harm both of you because of your sexual orientation? This is to help us determine if she should also be charged with a hate crime due to the nature of the assault.”

Ram’s eyes widened surprised and looked at King. King was taken aback from the question also. King looked at Ram questioningly. Ram shook his head slightly.

“Ram and I don’t think it was related to our orientation. It was probably more because of the video being posted and Ram not responding to her advances,” King answered.

“Well, okay. If you think of anything else that would be helpful, please let me know. Here’s my card”, Officer Maekwatana said as he handed Ram and King his card. Ram and King thanked the officer for his time, and he proceeded to walk them out of the Volunteer Camp Building.

Unfortunately, Aranya, Sud, Phet, and Lue were right outside of the entrance getting ready to be put into a cruiser when Aranya saw Ram and King. The other guys were bandaged up and looked like they went through a battle. 

Aranya was being put in the cruiser when she started yelling, “Nong Ram and King! You both are filthy and disgusting for liking each other! Sud, Phet, and Lue should have kicked your gay asses!” The officer pushed her in and slammed the door as she continued her discriminatory rant. Ram, King, and Officer Maekwatana were shocked by her comments, especially since she had not mentioned any problems with their sexual orientation until right now. 

Phet, Sud, and Lue looked at King and Ram ashamed before putting their heads down. They hadn’t realized how much trouble they got themselves into and how terrible Aranya was as a person. Ram and King looked at them and ignored Aranya’s screams. The three wouldn’t make eye contact with the couple, complied with the officers, and got into the cruiser.

Officer Maekwatana went up to Ram and King and said, “We don’t have any cells here at the Volunteer camp, so we are transferring them to the local police station for processing. Her behavior in front of you both will be noted and could be used against her. Thank you for coming by and we’ll let you know if we need any additional information.”

“Thank you!”, King stated before he pulled Ram away from the building. They slowly trekked back to camp.

************

Ram and King finally got to their tent after a few minutes. King opened it up to let Ram in, stepped in himself, and zipped it shut.

Ram laid down on his pillow and shifted on his left side, his unbruised side. He watched as King started preparing to lay down when King got a notification. King checked his phone.

**Tang** : P’, It’s Tang! I got your number from

P'Tee. I just wanted to let you know 

that we all talked and plan to have 

you go through some tests tonight 

after dinner and tomorrow. Is that 

okay?

King looked at Ram. Ram looked at him questioningly, wondering who could be texting him.

“It’s Nong Tang. He says they want to start the tests tonight and tomorrow, “King informed Ram. Ram rolled his eyes. King replied to the text.

**King:** That’s fine.

King just wanted to get the tests over with.

**Tang** : I am going to give you my test now 

because it may take a little work.

**King** : ok. I’m ready.

**Tang** : Ram has been dealing with a lot of stress 

lately. He needs to relax and enjoy his time

here. Your test will be that you will have to 

take Ram on a romantic date that includes 

food and drink. You will pass your test if you 

can send us a picture of you and Ram enjoying 

the nighttime meal together and a picture of you 

and Ram smiling at the romantic location of 

your date.

**King** : k

**Tang** : One more thing, P’

**King:**?

**Tang** : You can’t tell him about the date. It has to

be a surprise because we would like Ram to

feel special. 

Ram watched King closely and he seemed to be pondering the text. He wondered what was going on. King did want to do something special for Ram, so he was fine going along with it.

**King** : Okay, but can I tell him anything?

**Tang:** You can just tell him that two of the tests

will be tonight.

**King:** Ok. I’ll be ready.

**Tang** : Good luck, P’. We are rooting for you!

While King had his phone out, he then texted Tee about him and Ram being ordered to rest and informed him that he would see them at dinner. King looked at Ram who seemed to be texting his friends the same thing. With him still having a headache and feeling exhausted, King decided to come up with a plan for their romantic rendezvous later. He had the whole afternoon to figure something out. He had a lot of things on his mind, felt a little restless, and started looking around at everything except Ram.

Ram had texted his friends also about him not going back to the tree planting site. He also warned them that he would be mad if they did anything too strenuous to King. 

Ram watched King closely and noticed that he kept looking around for something and then finally sat down facing Ram on his side of the tent.

Ram looked at King curiously and asked, “Are you okay?” 

When Ram didn’t get an answer, he scooched himself up to a sitting position facing King.

King looked down at his hands for a second before looking up at Ram. The events of the day finally hit him. He knew that everything that happened was not all his fault, but he still felt bad that Ram was put in the position to fight and then got hurt in the process.

“I think it has finally hit me how much we went through today. It’s a bit overwhelming. We started with such a great morning together. Then, Aranya was making moves on you, and I had to get all protective and get you away from her. She then tries to attack me, but you defend me. I did my presentation and was excited about planting trees. Then, you get a message from Pin and we had our talk in the forest. You asked me sweetly to go on a date with you, which I’m excited about. I thought everything was fine afterward because we were able to plant trees for a few hours. Then there was drama between Bohn and Duen. Then, Nott and Pun informed me about the attack being posted online. We had our talk and were okay until Aranya came. She then outed us on social media and had her guys attack us. Then we had to deal with the fighting, their arrest, getting checked out by P’Thara, giving our statements, and getting yelled at again by Aranya. It’s been a long day and it’s only 3 pm”, King vented. He looked guiltily at Ram.

“I’m sorry, Cool Boy. A lot of what happened today probably could have been avoided if I hadn’t gone toe to toe with Aranya”, King stated. Ram looked at King and shook his head.

“I think she would have gotten mad either way, whether you said something or not. She wanted something I could not give her. It’s not your fault that I would rather be with you. That was my decision. You didn't force me to want to be with you. We can’t change the past anyway. It happened. We’re fine. Everything is fine,” Ram said reassuringly.

“It’s not. You’re hurt. I don’t like to see you hurt,” King admitted forlornly. Ram sighed.

“I’m okay. It’s a few bruised ribs. I’ve had a lot worse,” Ram responded.

“I know, but you didn’t have to fight alone. I told you I wanted to fight with you,” King said.

“You said you don’t like to see me hurt. I don’t like to see you hurt either, P’. Just like when Aranya was going to attack you, I wanted to take the brunt of it to keep you safe. I did not want those guys to touch a hair on your head, not with your head injury,” Ram pointed out.

“If I had just given her an excuse to get you away from her rather than challenging her, none of the other events would have happened. If I had stepped up to help fight you more, maybe you wouldn’t be hurt like this, right?”, King countered distressed.

Ram patted King’s elbow. He gestured to King and said, “Come here.”

King scooted over to Ram as Ram laid down. King brought his head to Ram’s shoulder as Ram put his arm around King’s back. King put his arm around Ram’s torso, but then Ram flinched.

“I’m so sorry, Cool Boy!”, King exclaimed as he quickly removed his arm from Ram’s ribs.

King felt bad then said, “I didn't like that they hurt you. I feel bad that I didn't do more to prevent bad things from happening to you," Ram grabbed King’s hand and held it to his chest. 

“Stop blaming yourself,” Ram encouraged King as he rubbed his thumb along King’s hand.

King looked up at Ram’s face and said, “I’m sorry.”

“Please stop. If anyone's to blame, it’s Aranya. She was the one who couldn’t control her behavior, couldn’t control her anger, decided to attack you, decided to get other people involved to fight us, and decided to out us”, Ram explained as he looked at King’s face.

“But…," King started to say but he was stopped by Ram’s hand grabbing his chin and soft lips brushing against his own. Ram decided to change the subject. 

"Stop it. I don't want you to stress out about it anymore. It's over," Ram declared. Ram and King laid together in silence for a few minutes pondering the events of the day.

************

“P’, how are you feeling about our relationship being public now?”, Ram asked after a few minutes. Ram has mixed feelings about it. 

“I’m okay about it. The teasing has already started and hasn't been that bad. We have a lot of support, so I am less worried about it. We’ll have to see how things go when we start classes next week. How are you feeling about it?”, King said.

“The same. I don’t like that my friends insist on testing you before they approve of our relationship when I know they approve of you already. They are just being pains.”

“I think they are trying to be fair to Duen since you tested Bohn. They also care about you a lot. By the way, I have to go through two tests after dinner tonight,” King expressed.

“Do you know what you have to do?”, Ram asked.

“No, I don’t know all the details, but I’m sure it won’t be that bad”, King answered. King was actually up to the challenge to set up a romantic date for Ram. Ram is always doing sweet things and, with everything that has happened with his family, Ram deserved to be treated special.

“Do you still have a headache?”, Ram asked. King touched his head with his hand and nodded.

“A little,” King answered. He put his hand down to King’s chest and looked into Ram’s face. 

Ram brought his arms around King and leaned in to kiss King’s lips. King felt the warmth of Ram’s lips against his own and his heart flutter. King loved Ram’s kisses because they made his body tingle all over. Ram was enjoying King as well and grabbed King’s bottom lip between his teeth and gently pulled on it. He then passionately sucked on King’s bottom lip before pulling King’s upper lip with his teeth, then sucking on it. Ram then licked and nibbled King’s lips before commenting in between kisses.

“Do you still have a headache?”, Ram asked as he rubbed his hand up and down King’s arm while laying a kiss on the side of his mouth.

“Not really,” King admitted tiredly. Ram noticed that King looked better, but he still looked tired. His boyfriend needed to get some rest so they could have some energy for the rest of the night. He brought his head up and leaned in again to kiss King's lips for a few more minutes. They enjoyed the softness and tenderness with each kiss they gave and received as if they were making a promise to devote themselves to each other with each touch of the lips. Eventually, they had to stop to get some fresh air.

“We probably should try to take a nap. Aren’t you tired?”, Ram suggested.

“Yeah, I am. Let’s get some rest. Hopefully, by the time we wake up, we can just relax and there will be no more craziness for the rest of the day,” King said. Ram nodded in agreement. 

Ram brought his hand up to King’s cheek before kissing King’s forehead. Ram’s lips remained on King’s forehead for a few seconds before he brought his nose to King’s nose and rubbed them together gently. King and Ram looked into each other’s eyes adoringly before King leaned up to rub his nose against Ram’s and kissed his lips simultaneously. 

King and Ram shifted to get in a more comfortable position. King leaned on Ram’s shoulder but was not feeling it. King shifted to get on his back and gently pulled Ram to his body. Ram got to hint and laid his head on King’s chest and brought his arm around King’s waist. King laid his left on top of Ram’s heart and was soothed by the feeling of Ram’s heartbeat. With Ram on his chest, King was able to run his hand through Ram’s hair at the back of his head before tenderly rubbing his scalp. Ram purred with contentment. King and Ram both drifted off to sleep, at ease after the day they had, hoping that they would wake up energized and ready for the rest of the afternoon. 

Unbeknownst to them, something was amiss amongst their friends and the stress of the day was not finished yet. It didn’t matter to King and Ram since they had gone through so much today. They were happy that they could finally be open about their relationship and were sure that they could handle anything that came their way, together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I apologize for not getting a chapter out for 2 weeks and that this is what I was able to get out to you all after weeks of stress. Sorry!
> 
> Credit is given to 2Moons2 Episode 11 and the scene when Beam feels bad that Forth got hit with his hammer. The King feeling bad about Ram getting hurt scene was roughly based on that scene.
> 
> Thank you for continuing to read this story of mine and being so patient with me. 
> 
> Hope you all are doing well during these stressful times! Take care!


	25. I Lost My Way To Find You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ram and King get woken up from their nap due to the volunteers returning to camp and loud announcements on the megaphone. They considered skipping dinner when they both receive notifications that change their plans for the rest of the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are now getting into scenes from Episode 14, some dialogue is included from the actual episode.
> 
> This chapter may be considered a filler despite it being so long.
> 
> Sorry if there are errors or grammatical mistakes. I was very tired when I was editing this chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Ram and King had been sleeping for a few hours. They hadn’t moved too much since both were very content in each other’s arms. Ram still had his head on King’s chest and King still had his hand in Ram’s hair. They would have stayed in that tent for the rest of the afternoon if they hadn’t got interrupted. 

They both were woken up by an announcement over the megaphone.

“Okay, everyone! Follow Me! Quick, Quick! I am going to sum up what we did today and then I will let you all go rest”

Ram shifted his body up to look at King. Ram wanted to sleep longer. King looked at Ram with bleary eyes. King was still sleepy but felt like he should get up. 

“How are you feeling?”, Ram asked as he moved King’s bangs so he could lay a kiss on his forehead. Ram observed King for anything odd, including expressions of pain.

“Better. You?”, King asked as he shifted his body so he could face Ram and kiss his nose. He then rubbed their noses together. Ram smiled and leaned in to rub his nose against King’s before he gave King a peck on his lips.

“Fine,” Ram answered. He wrapped his arms around King for a hug, which King was happy to return. They both sighed happily and closed their eyes, savoring the moment. They were interrupted as they heard Tee over the megaphone.

“Thank you for all your hard work today! We were able to meet our goal and plant all 2000 tree saplings…” 

King and Ram then heard loud cheers and the announcement that dinner would be served in about an hour.

“Should we get up and get ready for dinner?”, King inquired as he started to pull away from Ram. Ram didn’t respond. King turned his body on his side towards his bag when he found two strong arms pulling him into a strong chest.

“Where are you going?”, Ram asked as he started nibbling on King’s neck and holding King tightly. Ram could care less about leaving the tent. They had a long day and they deserved a break.

King thought they had rested enough and didn’t want to stay in their tent, especially since he had stuff he had to do, preparing for the test tonight being one of them.

“Cool Boy! We’ve been resting for hours. We need to show up for dinner. Our friends will be looking for us and will tease us if we don’t show,” King informed Ram, although Ram’s lips on his neck were starting to make him reconsider. King leaned his head to the side, allowing Ram better access. Ram continued to suck and nibble up King’s neck and along his jawline until King turned his head so Ram could capture his lips in a searing kiss.

Ram would have liked to continue but he decided to talk to King since he seemed so interested in leaving. Ram pulled King down to lay on his back. He grabbed King’s right hand with his left hand while putting his other hand behind his head. They interlocked their fingers and King pulled Ram’s hand to his lips and kissed his hand before he laid their hands on his chest. They both turned their heads so they could look at each other.

“Aren’t you still tired? We had a lot that had happened today. What’s the rush? Dinner is not going anywhere,” Ram inquired as he stared at King’s handsome face. 

Ram was feeling pretty content just being with King. King was pretty content with just being with Ram, too, but King was a senior and he had responsibilities. King needed to help Tee since he is technically the committee secretary. Plus, he felt bad about bailing on Bohn since they were both supposed to be in charge of putting the tools away after the tree saplings were planted. He also had rounds he had to do before the night ended. Him being ordered to rest was not something he had expected would happen. With that 2-3 hour nap they had, he was feeling a lot better. On top of trying to fulfill or make up for his responsibilities, he also was ready to get his tests done and out of the way. King looked at Ram’s handsome face.

“Cool Boy, you know I’m a senior and I’m the secretary for the Volunteer Camp Committee. I have responsibilities…,” King explained when Ram and King both heard notifications on their phones. Ram grabbed his phone as King grabbed his. They both looked at their messages and both of their eyes widened. 

They looked at each other and exclaimed simultaneously, “Duen is missing!”

Ram and King got up quickly and scrambled to get stuff they may need since it was already getting close to 6 and the sun was going to set soon. Ram grabbed their flashlights and handed one to King.

“Maybe we should take some medicine now just in case we are not back for a while,” Ram suggested as he handed King a bottle of water. He watched King take out his medication and take one of his pills.

“You do the same, Cool Boy! You have to take it easy walking around, okay?”, King stated as he handed Ram the bottle of water and watched him also take his medicine. King looked around once again to see if they forgot anything.

“Let’s go!”, King stated. He unzipped their tent, opened it for Ram, and zipped it shut. Ram and King put their shoes on and walked swiftly to the meeting area where they found all the volunteers waiting for instructions.  
*****************  
Tee was standing up in front of everyone with a megaphone. Mek and Bohn were standing behind him. King and Ram noticed that Tang, Phu, and Ting Ting were standing close by. They also noticed Thara, Frong, Nott, and Pun standing with the other volunteers in the meeting area, waiting for instructions. King looked at Ram.

“You check on your friends and I’ll check on Bohn, okay?”, King stated. Ram nodded.

King ran up to his friends and went straight towards Bohn and grabbed his arm.

“Are you okay? What happened?”, King asked. Bohn looked terrible. He looked like he had put his hand through his hair multiple times and he had a frown on his face.

“We can’t find Duen. Nobody can get a hold of him and he’s not answering his phone!”, Bohn shared, upset. King patted his friend’s shoulder.

“When was the last time you saw him?”, King asked. Bohn looked down ashamed.

“A few hours ago. I left you at lunch and went to go find Duen. I went everywhere and finally found him taking pictures with Nong Ting Ting. He wouldn’t talk to me at first until Nong Ting Ting encouraged him to do so. I admitted to the kiss with Mind and he was upset that I had lied about it. He said it was better if we broke up and to let him go. He walked off. I tried to search for him but couldn’t find him so I went back to the tree planting site. He was not there either. I helped with cleaning up after we finished tree planting and got back to camp to find out that nobody has seen him since we left, so I checked his tent and he wasn’t there,” Bohn explained. Bohn was falling apart. He was very worried about Duen and blamed himself for what had happened. He knows that if he finds Duen that he is not going to keep anything from Duen ever again and he is going to make things right with him.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find him. I’m sure he is okay,” King stated reassuringly. With everything that has happened today, he knows exactly how Bohn feels. King would feel the same way if something happened to Ram.  
***************  
Ram ran over to his friends. He was really worried about Duen. Duen was smart, hence why he got into the medical faculty. The problem was he was not the best with common sense, especially when he is emotional about something. Ting Ting saw him as he was going towards them.

“Ram! Great you are here!”, Ting Ting said in relief. Tang and Phu all nodded in agreement.

“What happened?”, Ram asked.

“I was with Duen taking pictures after lunch and Bohn found us. I left and gave them some privacy and then went to the tree planting site with some of the other volunteers. I figured that Duen was with Bohn the whole time. Then, Phu, Tang, and the rest of the seniors showed up after your situation, Ram, but P’Bohn was not one of them. P’Bohn showed up near the end of the tree planting looking around like he was trying to find someone. The seniors helped with cleaning up while we came back to camp. P’Bohn heard that we haven’t seen Duen and checked his tent to find that Duen’s stuff was all gone,” Ting Ting updated Ram. 

Ram took all the information and figured that Bohn and Duen had a fight and Duen decided to just leave without thinking. The problem is that he left alone and didn’t tell anyone, so he probably has been wandering around the forest for the last few hours.

“What’s the plan?”, Ram asked. Right when he said that, Tee started talking into the megaphone. 

“Okay, everyone! Thank you all for getting here quickly. We have a situation. One of our volunteers, Nong Duen, has gone missing. We think he may have walked off by himself into the forest and got lost. We contacted the Forestry Department and they are here to assist us in the search. We are going to be split up into groups, each accompanied by at least one Forestry Officer who will be carrying a walkie-talkie to communicate if Nong Duen is found. I hope everyone has their flashlights!”, Tee instructed. 

Tee and the other seniors formed groups. Bohn and Duen’s friends all stuck together in one group. Nott, Pun, Thara, and Frong went along with another group. Maps were handed out to the different groups to keep track of the locations that were being searched. Everyone was ready so the groups dispersed and started searching for Duen.  
***************  
The sun had already set when Bohn’s group had made it to the far edge of the section of their map with two Forestry Officers. King and Ram made eye contact across their friends. Ram frowned and King gave Ram a small smile to reassure him that things will be okay. 

The groups continued to search for Duen but the Forestry Officers were getting concerned about it already being dark and it becoming more dangerous being in the forest.

“Duen!”

“Duen!”

“Duen, where are you?”, Ting Ting called out.

“Duen!”

Duen!”

“Duen, are you here?”, Bohn called out.

“Duen, we are worried about you!”, Ting Ting shouted.

The members of their group continued to call out Duen’s name as they walked through the dark forest with their flashlights on. Ram was following Pin and Ting Ting, hoping that Duen was staying put somewhere and not moving so he could be found. Then he watched as Phu attempted to try to call Duen’s phone.

“There is no signal here, “Phu informed his friends.

“I saw that he took his bag, too. Do you think he got back down already?”, Tang shared but was interrupted by one of the Forestry Officers. 

“I just contacted downhill. They didn’t see anyone come down. I think he got lost while he was walking down,” the Forestry Officer reported. Everyone looked at each other and around the trees.

The Forestry Officer continued, “It’s getting late and dark now. You all should go back to camp first. I will keep looking with another officer.”

“We will stay and help,” Bohn insisted. Bohn had to find Duen and make sure he was safe.

“Bohn, please listen to them. It’s dangerous here,” King suggested. King knew that it would be hard for Bohn to go back to camp. Bohn blamed himself for Duen’s disappearance and wants to be the one to find him and bring him back.

“Yes, I agree. We should take them all back and rest first,” added Tee.

“But Duen is in danger,” Bohn insisted. 

“Bohn, just go back first, please. If not, you will go missing, too,” King advised Bohn. Tee nodded his head in agreement. King was all for trying to find Duen, but with all of them in the dark forest and with wild animals around, King didn’t feel like they were prepared to deal with possible threats.

“Fine, okay,” Bohn said. With that, the group turned and started walking back to camp, continuing to call out Duen’s name, just in case.

Tee stopped Bohn to try to comfort him and said, “Be positive. Duen might already be back at the camping site.” Tee patted Bohn’s shoulder before stepping in front of him to walk towards camp. Bohn thought about it and quickly ran off to try to find Duen. Tee turned around to find Bohn running into the forest.

“Hey, Bohn!”, Tee yelled but Bohn was gone. He put his fingers to his forehead, stressed. He ran towards the group and everyone turned to look at Tee.

“Bohn, went looking for Duen alone!” Tee informed everyone. King’s eyes widened and he started going after Bohn when he felt a warm hand grab his wrist. King turned around to find Ram preventing him from leaving. 

“Cool Boy, I have to find Bohn!”, King told him as he started turning back towards Bohn’s direction. King was worried about his best friend. He knew Bohn was not thinking straight.

Ram gently brushed his thumb against King’s arm. 

“P...”, Ram said quietly. The whisper made King look at Ram. He saw concern and worry in Ram’s eyes.

“You think it’s dangerous for me to leave because I might get lost, too, and are afraid I might hurt myself walking around the forest?” , King clarified out loud what he had read in Ram’s eyes. Ram nodded vigorously. Ram looked down and back up at King with a frown.

“I know, Cool Boy! Both of our best friends are out there and with our injuries, we shouldn’t be walking around too much.” Ram nodded again.

“How does he do that? Nong Ram didn’t even say anything,” Tee asked as he watched King interpret Ram’s whisper and body language. He didn’t get all that by looking at Ram. Mek shrugged and continued to watch their interaction.

King also noticed that Ram’s other arm was across his torso with his hand on his ribs. King’s eyes widened. King rushed to Ram and looked him over while Ram seemed confused about King’s actions. 

“Cool Boy, why didn’t you tell me your ribs were hurting? You’re right. Let’s go back to camp and take it easy,” King recommended as he went up to Ram to support him. Ram nodded as they both turned to follow Ram’s friends and the Forestry Officers.

Mek and Tee stood there watching King and Ram walk by. 

“Ram knew exactly how to get King to stop from chasing after Bohn,” Tee said amazed and impressed at the level of communication and understanding between King and Ram. 

“Yup, “Mek agreed as they followed the group back to camp.  
******************  
At the meeting area back at camp, all the groups came together after returning from the forest. 

Thara, Frong, Nott, and Pun went up to their group.

“Any luck?”, Thara asked Duen’s friends. 

“No, P’. You?”, Tang asked. Thara and Frong shook their heads. 

Everyone was instructed to stay at camp to avoid anyone else getting lost. King had Ram sit down since he had been standing for hours. Ram pulled King down with him so he could rest, also. The rest of their friends sat down with them and made small talk as they waited for word of their friends.  
****************  
After a while, it was announced that the volunteers should go ahead and eat dinner. Most of the volunteers went off to get food in the dining area, but Ram and King’s friends lingered and continued to look out into the forest. They were all antsy about Bohn and Duen not having returned yet.

“We should go out and look for them,” Ting Ting said. She grabbed onto Tang. “Go,” she demanded. Thara attempted to block her path and told her to wait.

“What if you get lost, too?”, King asked. The last thing they all need is more people missing. King doesn’t need the additional stress right now.

“Yes. It’s very late now. I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Thara pointed out.

“Where will they be?”, Ting Ting asked, feeling anxious for Duen and Bohn.

“Calm down first,” Tang said to Ting Ting, trying to get her to relax.

King looked out to the forest and saw two people walking down the path to camp. He sighed in relief.

“Bohn and Duen are back! There!”, King exclaimed as he pointed at their friends. All the friends walked forward to meet Duen and Bohn.

King got to Bohn first and grabbed his arm, happy to see his best friend and Duen back at camp.

The group surrounded Bohn and Duen.

The senior who always talks on the megaphone asked, “Where did you guys go? Do you know how worried we were?”

“Yes!”, Ting Ting said as she agreed with her senior about finding out what happened.

“We were just walking around here,” Bohn answered.

“Wait! From what we see and both of your expressions, you are back together now, right?”, Tee asked after pointing at them holding hands. The group cheered for the couple. Bohn and Duen smiled at each other.

Ting Ting turned to Tang and said, “Tang, look at them. Even though we are all teasing him, he didn’t let go of his hand, holding his hand so tight.” 

Bohn quickly moved Duen’s hand behind him. The group hooted happily, all smiling at the teasing of Bohn and Duen.

“Just tell them what we did just now, “Bohn encouraged Duen. Duen hit his shoulder with his own. Everyone hollered at the couple. 

King teased, “What did you guys do?”

“Nothing!”, Duen answered.

“Really? Duen is not lying, right?”, Phu asked in doubt.

“Phu!”, Duen responded. Everyone continued to tease the couple.

Duen turned to Bohn and said, “Let’s eat! Let’s go!”, then pulled on Bohn to leave.

“Don’t try to change the subject! What did you do? Tell us now! You shy?”, Ting Ting demanded. Duen smiled shyly as Bohn looked adoringly at him. 

“Well, we are hungry, too, because we were waiting for you, Bohn!”, Tee informed the couple.

“Yes, right!”, Duen said.

“We didn’t know where you ran off to. Let’s go eat!”, Tee told the group.

“Go Go Go”, the group yelled. The friends happily moved towards the dining area for dinner. King noticed that one of their friends was missing. He grabbed onto Mek’s arm before he joined the others.

“Where’s Boss?”, King asked. Mek looked at King and tried to play it off that things were okay. He looked back at King.

“I didn’t see him at all,” King mentioned. Mek looked down briefly before responding.

“I don’t know”, Mek said sadly as he walked off to the dining area alone. King watched his friend, wondering how they were able to resolve Bohn and Duen’s situation but now have a situation with Mek and Boss. He looked behind him and then followed his friend to the dining area.  
****************  
Mek went towards the drinks as King passed him to go towards the food. King had a lot of things on his mind including what he was going to do for Ram’s romantic date tonight. He had put it off to get some rest, but it’s night now and he doesn’t have a lot of time to put things together. He was thinking about what to do when he bumped into Nott and Pun.

“King! Are you okay? You look like something is bothering you,” Nott said as he noticed King’s furrowed eyebrows.

“Oh, Nott, Pun! Sorry! I’m just trying to figure something out,” King stated trying to figure out how he was going to find food for later and a place to take Ram in the forest.

“Is it about those tests you have to do? I hope they aren’t too hard,” Pun wondered.

King looked at the couple and a lightbulb went off in his head.

“Actually, can you guys help me out?”, King asked. Nott and Pun looked at King questioningly.  
****************  
After he talked to Nott and Pun who were able to help him figure out part of his plan and get some of the stuff he needed, King stood behind the other volunteers to grab some food. As he did so, someone picked up the megaphone and started speaking.

“Mek! Stand there!”, Boss yelled into the megaphone. King and the other volunteers turned around to see what was happening. Boss had the megaphone as Mek was walking towards the food area.

“Everyone listen to me! You are my husband! We are a couple! Can everyone hear me?”, Boss announced.

King smiled brightly at his two friends as some of the other volunteers cheered for the couple.

King watched as Mek walked up to Boss to stop him from saying more and grabbed his arm with the megaphone to pull it down. He said something to Boss, but Boss brought the megaphone up and said, “Hubby, I am sorry!” Mek brought the arm down with the megaphone and said something to Boss, but Boss took the megaphone in his other hand and brought it back up to his mouth.

“We are really a couple…,” Boss started to say before Mek pulled the megaphone down again. King noticed that Mek said something to Boss and then Boss leaned his head on his shoulder. The volunteers watching cheered at how cute they were being as King continued to smile and feel happy for his friends. He watched as Boss hugged Mek’s torso tightly.

Ting Ting and Tang suddenly showed up with food and walked through the group who were watching Mek and Boss.

“Excuse me, “ Ting Ting said as she slurped down some noodles as she walked past King with Tang beside her. They stopped at the scene of the couple.

“What the hell? Did I join a volunteer camp or a love camp here?”, Ting Ting complained. She put her hand to her forehead and handed her bowl of soup to Tang.

“Take it! I don’t feel like eating it anymore”, Ting Ting said as she left. King took Ting Ting’s bowl from Tang as Tang rushed to catch up with Ting Ting. King felt like he scored because he didn’t have to walk the rest of the way to get food. He kept on eating and watching his friends talking, then saw Boss bring up the megaphone again.

“I love you!”, Boss said to a smiling Mek. The volunteers cheered the couple again, enjoying how sweet they looked. King smiled again, glad that Boss and Mek’s issues were resolved now. 

Now that King didn’t have to worry about his friends, he had to focus on passing Ram’s friends’ tests. King quickly ate his food and caught up with Mek and Boss to congratulate them. He walked with them towards the food area. They grabbed more food and sat with Tee before King inquired if they would help him with a few things.  
***************  
While King and Mek had been talking, Ram and his friends had gone to get their food. Ting Ting and Tang grabbed their food and had wandered off to go do something. Phu, Bohn, Duen, and Ram sat together eating their food.

“Are you okay?”, Ram asked Duen. Duen nodded at Ram reassuringly.

“I’m fine. Everything is fine now,” Duen said as he glanced at Bohn, who smiled at him before spooning up some soup to eat.

“Ting Ting filled me in about you and King”, Duen told Ram. He whispered to Ram, “I saw the kissing video. Wow!”, Duen teased Ram. Ram made a face at Duen that made Duen laugh.

“You better not hurt my best friend,” Bohn told Ram. Duen slapped Bohn’s arm.

“Ram would never do that,” Duen defended Ram. He continued as he looked at Bohn, “Let’s see if your friend can pass our tests first before we accept King as Ram’s boyfriend.” Ram glared at his friend. Phu attempted to redirect Ram.

“Ram, my test is going to be after dinner,” Phu informed Ram. Ram looked at Phu and sat up. 

“What is it?”, Ram asked worriedly. Ram was not sure what his friends were going to make King do. He hoped that they wouldn’t do anything too bad to King since he thought they all got along with him and liked him.

“My test requires some participation from you. Everybody thinks you guys are so great together and wanted to add to my test to help celebrate you both being a couple amongst your friends. Are you willing to participate to help King with his test?”, Phu asked.

“What do I have to do?”, Ram asked curiously.  
*************  
King was wrapping up his discussion with Tee, Mek, and Boss when Bohn came up to them. 

“Hey!”, Bohn said as he sat down with his friends. He noticed that their heads were together and they were being secretive.

“What are you guys whispering about?”, Bohn asked.

“We’re making plans to help King with one of the tests he has tonight,” Tee informed Bohn.

“Congratulations on you and Ram. Finally! Too bad you couldn’t hold out until tomorrow. You cost me some money! Anyway, do you know what the test is?”, Bohn asked.

“I don’t think I want to tell you. You’ll tell Duen and he’ll tell Ram and he is not supposed to find out what we are doing,” King said. Bohn was his best friend and was usually pretty discreet, but had issues when it came to Duen. 

“Oh, come on! I want to help, too!”, Bohn begged.

“He may be able to help us,” Mek pointed out.

King looked at Bohn and sighed. His best friend could be helpful if he wants to be. 

“Okay, but please don’t spill anything to Duen,” King told Bohn. Bohn nodded.

“What are you doing over here anyway? We thought you would be all lovey-dovey with your boyfriend, “Boss asked.

“I was instructed by Duen to bring you over to your first test,” Bohn told King. King tensed.

“Do you know what it is?”, King asked Bohn.

“I don’t know for sure. All I know is that all of King and Ram’s friends are invited to come,” Bohn told the group.

“Us too?”, Nott interrupted as he overheard them, as he and Pun were sitting close by.

“Sure. The more the merrier, “King said sarcastically. King wasn’t sure what to make of a test that would include an audience of him and Ram’s friends.

Nott and Punn were excited to be included. The group stood up, cleaned up after themselves, and followed Bohn to the testing location. King filled in Bohn about his plans along the way.  
****************  
Bohn walked King and their friends, including Nott and Pun, through the campgrounds to an area behind the First Aid Station and Restroom.

The area was lit up with a string of white ball lights hanging from tree to tree. A small campfire was lit in front of two chairs that were positioned side by side. There were three large logs, one on each side of the bonfire and chairs and one log in front of it. Thara and Frong were already sitting together on one of the logs talking.

“We can go sit on the logs or the ground. King, you’ll have to wait until you are called,” Bohn informed King as his friends went over to the campfire, sat around it, and waited. 

Ram looked at King with a stoic look. King didn’t know what that meant. He wasn’t sure if he should be worried or not?

Ram’s friends noticed King was finally there. They got in a straight line and faced King while Ram watched from the side.

King walked up to the group and waited for instructions. His friends were eager to see what King will have to do for his test.

“P’King, you and Ram’s relationship is new, but you both have obviously liked each other for a long time and we all have known it,” Ting Ting said as she looked at everyone around them. The majority of the group nodded and agreed with her.

“Your first test is about being ready for a commitment. Some experts say that you should probably wait a few months before you start a relationship with someone. It would depend on how much time you are spending with each other, how much of a good fit you are, how the couple interacts with their friends, and how much information you’ve obtained about the other person. You both have pretty much mastered the first two. We would like to test if you know Ram well enough to be his boyfriend and if you can handle all the support you have from your friends,” Phu informed King.

King thought about it. Ram said that he is the one person who understands him. Plus, King has studied Ram for months. He wasn’t too worried about his knowledge of Ram. In regards to their friends, King had a feeling that he was going to be tested on how much he could withstand him and Ram being the center of attention, being teased, and feeling embarrassed. All he could do was try his best because he knows that Ram’s friends are important to him, so that means their approval is important to Ram, too. 

“Okay, I’ll take the challenge,” King stated.

“There is a catch,” Tang added.

“What is it?”, King asked questioningly.

“You have to get at least 8 out of 10 questions to pass the test and for each answer you get correctly, you will pick out one of these for your reward,” Tang said as he showed King a jar of folded pieces of blue paper.

“For every answer you get wrong, you will pick out one of these for your consequence,” Duen said as he showed his jar of folded pieces of red paper.

“Do you agree to the terms?”, Phu asked. King had nothing to lose. He couldn’t imagine what the rewards or consequences would be. He didn’t feel Ram’s friends would do anything mean. 

“I do,” King responded. 

“Go ahead and have a seat and we will get started, “ Phu said. King went to sit down and Ram sat down next to him. Ram was holding a dry erase board and a marker. King and Ram looked at each other. Ram grabbed King’s hand and squeezed it briefly to express his support and that he was here with him every step of the way. King smiled

Phu informed the group, “One of us will come up and ask King a question. Ram will write his answer, King will answer it out loud, and then Ram will show the group his answer to see if King got it correctly. This also is kind of a test for Ram because he is going to have to anticipate how King is going to answer.”

“Wow, that sounds hard. Glad I don’t have to take a test, “Boss whispered to Mek. Mek shushed him.

King and Ram’s friends were excited for the test to start and watched with enthusiasm as Phu went up to the couple to ask the first question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit is given to My Engineer Episode 14 scenes and English subtitles that were used in this chapter.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you are excited about the next one! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


	26. Test 1: Friends Can Have Lots of Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram are surrounded by their friends, sitting at a campfire. Ram's friends are having King go through his first test. Will he pass?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: You might want to bring some snacks and drinks with you because this is a long chapter. I didn't have the heart to break it into two because I just wanted King to get through it and be done with it.
> 
> Hope you enjoy what I did with it!

King and Ram sat in their respective chairs and observed their friends as they were getting started on the first test. Their close friends sat around them on the logs and the ground with excitement in their eyes and smiles on their lips.

King wasn’t worried about the questions or the teasing he would get from them. He was kind of used to it. He was more worried about Ram. Ram’s dealing with a lot of stuff with his family. The last thing King wanted Ram to deal with was their friends messing with his head also. King knew Ram could handle things on his own. He just couldn’t help it. He just wanted to take care of his Ram.

Ram wasn’t worried about King passing the test. Like Ram said at King’s house, King was the one who understood him. Ram was a little embarrassed to be the center of the attention but has started to realize that he and King are going to get attention anyway just because of who they are. Ram has ignored the attention he tended to receive ever since he was a little kid. Because he was half Thai, he would often get stared at or people would come up to him because he was “mysterious.” Ram was fully aware that King was popular, smart, outgoing, and good looking. King was used to being looked at or being asked to do things, as seen in his performance with Nott or his presentation on planting trees. King was such a confident and nice person that he takes things in stride and does not let things bother him. Ram knew King was more concerned about how he was going to handle having to be part of that, especially after Aranya outed both of them. Ram skimmed through the many comments on the post of their kissing picture, both good and bad. Some of the comments were terrible while others were super embarrassing. Ram and King had wanted to go public with their relationship on their terms, but now they have to deal with supporters and haters on social media because of Aranya. King and Ram haven’t even had a chance to talk about the comments, how to respond, how to behave, or what would be okay for public displays of affection. Although not used to all the attention and focus being on him, Ram wanted to try to get used to it and not make King feel like he had to protect Ram from everything.

Both King’s and Ram’s lines of thoughts were interrupted as Phu stood in front of them.

“Let’s get started! We are going to start with an easy question you should already know,” Phu said. Ram got his dry erase marker out and was ready to write his answer as King waited for his question.

“P’King, your first question is: Is Ram right or left-handed?”, Phu asked. King looked at Phu, insulted, and could not believe they would give him such a stupid question.

King answered automatically, “Right,” as he noticed Ram writing on the dry erase board with his right hand. Ram looked at Phu with disapproval. Phu ignored the couples’ fierce glances towards him.

“What’s your answer, Ram?”, Phu asked. Ram flipped over his dry erase board with the word “right” clearly written on it.

“Correct. One point for P’King!”, Phu announced. King and Ram were suddenly surprised by hoots and hollers from their friends. They were way too excited about this test.

“Because you answered correctly, you will now be allowed to pick from the reward jar. Now, each reward and consequence in the jars were written by an individual or couple here,” Phu informed King. King was taken aback by that. He wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean.

King found out later that Ram’s friends had talked to King’s friends while at the tree planting site. Nott and Pun were asked for their reward and consequence when they had sat down at the campfire without King noticing.

Phu brought the reward jar with blue paper over to King. King stuck his fingers into the jar and grabbed a piece of paper. Ram watched as King unfolded it and looked at it curiously. King read what was on the little blue piece of paper out loud.

“Bohn and Nong Duen?”, King said as he looked up at him and Ram’s best friends. Ram looked at them curiously, wondering what was happening.

Bohn and Duen smiled and went to stand in front of their best friends as their other friends watched in anticipation.

“Your first reward is from Duen and I. We both want to let you know that we are very happy for both of you. We have been waiting for you both to realize your feelings for one another!”, Bohn admitted with a smirk on his face. King rolled his eyes as Duen continued.

“As your best friends, respectively, we wanted to let you know how much we support you both and your relationship. We want to tell you that we always got your back. We also hope we can maybe double date sometime,” Duen said as he looked for King and Ram to agree. Ram looked at King, who smiled in response, and Ram turned to Duen and nodded. Duen smiled widely.

“Because we know you both like to eat meals together all the time, our reward to you is a romantic dinner for two on us,” Bohn said as Duen smiled happily. King and Ram looked at each other and their friends, shocked.

“You guys don’t have to do that! Cool Boy and I can pay for our meals,” King responded. Ram nodded in agreement. Ram could not believe what was happening. He thought that they were supposed to just put their names in the jar and that King would get some small reward. This seemed more like a gift, and not just a gift for King, but a gift for both of them as a couple.

“We know we don’t have to, but we want to. So, congratulations!!!,” Duen exclaimed without taking no for an answer. Bohn smirked at King and walked with Duen back to their seat.

“Thanks,” King responded. King and Ram were both surprised and touched at the gesture and were wondering what was in store for them the rest of the game, but their musings were interrupted by Tang.

“Okay, let’s go on to question number two. P’King are you ready?”, Tang asked. King nodded.

“Can you name one thing that Ram does not like to eat?”

King couldn’t believe how easy the questions were. Ram and King looked at each other and smiled, remembering their first meal together and a certain senior who insisted for him to eat that particular food. As Ram wrote down his answer on the dry erase board, King recalled how Ram had confessed in that beautiful garden that their first meal together was when Ram first realized he was starting to have feelings for King.

“That’s easy. Ginger,” King stated proudly. Ram flipped over the dry erase board with the word “Ginger” written on it. Loud cheers were heard again coming from their friends. King looked at all of them and shook his head. (refer to My Engineer Episode 4)

“Correct. That’s two points for P’King!”, Tang announced. The friends cheered. Tang brought over the jar of blue slips of paper and King pulled out another slip of paper and unfolded it.

“Tee…,” King stated. He looked up as his friend stood up and walked in front of him and Ram.

“I think the first time I noticed King’s interest in Nong Ram was during the first meeting we had for the volunteer camp committee at Cafe I Love You. King found out that I tricked him to come, but then stayed when he noticed Nong Ram was there,” Tee shared. He then looked at Ram.

“I’m not sure if you know this, Nong, but King had grilled me to get information about you, including your name,” Tee informed Ram. Ram looked at King stunned. Tee turned to face the couple and smiled at them genuinely.

“I’ve watched you both and noticed that you have a special connection. You both make the other better and I am very happy for both of you. I also support you both and got your back! My reward for you is drinks and dessert for you and Nong Ram at Cafe I Love You for a time when you want to get a refreshing drink and some sweets. Congratulations!”, Tee stated.

King spoke up, “Hold on. Tee, you don’t have to give us anything.”

“I know, but I want to. Just take it, King,” Tee told him. King sighed, giving up on trying to argue with his friend.

“Thanks, Tee, ”King accepted. King was starting to see a pattern here. He was not sure how the test ended up becoming a support Ram and King fest, but he’s not complaining. It was way better than them grilling him and making him feel stupid in front of their friends. King didn’t want to relax just yet though because he still needed to get 6 more questions right.

Ram, on the other hand, was truly touched by the gestures of their friends. He couldn’t get over how kind and sweet they were being to him and King. The tidbits about how they thought about their relationship were making his heart burst. Ram looked at his four friends and decided that he would have to do something special with them because he didn’t know how to thank them for making King's test so heartfelt and wonderful. He just didn’t know if he could handle possibly 8 more questions of this though.

Duen’s question was next, so he went in front of King and Ram.

“Question #3. P’King, are you ready?”, Duen asked. King nodded.

“I’m going to give you a similar question to Tang’s. Can you name one of Ram’s favorite foods?” Duen asked. King didn’t even hesitate. King remembered that day they ate at Ram’s house with his family and how Ram wouldn’t eat the shrimp tempura because his dad brought it despite it being his favorite.

“Shrimp Tempura,” King said immediately after the question was asked. Ram hadn't even finished writing his answer. He flipped it over to show that King was correct again. (refer to Chapter 4-Eating, Stargazing, and Betrayal)

“Correct! Three points for P’King,” Duen announced. The friends applauded and screamed at King for getting it correct again. Duen brought the jar to King and he picked out another blue slip of paper.

King unfolded the paper and announced, “Nong Ting Ting and Nong Tang.” The two friends stood in front of King and Ram. Ram wondered what the two would reward them. He now realized that King’s reward was a reward for them as a couple.

King looked at the two friends and wondered when they were going to fess up that something was going on between them. King looked at Ram and Ram grinned. King knew Ram thought exactly as he did.

“Tang and I have observed both of you together and have been shipping you both for ages. We’re very happy for you and want you to know that we are completely supportive and will defend you from annoying shippers and stupid haters,” Ting Ting said with a determined look on her face and started pounding her fist as if she would be a threat to anyone.

Tang shook his head at Ting Ting’s antics and continued, “We took a picture of you both yesterday and thought you guys looked so photogenic together. Ting Ting’s uncle owns a photo studio, so we are rewarding you with Couple Pictures. Congratulations!”

“Wow! Thanks!”, King said as he looked at Ram, who shrugged and had a small smile on his face. Ram thought that some pictures with King sounded appealing. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but Ram sometimes looks at King’s profile picture when he is thinking about him, so getting some actual pictures of King and him together would be nice. King also sometimes stalks Ram’s social media accounts to look at Ram, too. Getting some pictures of him and Ram together to put in his apartment would be nice.

Ting Ting and Tang smiled at the couple and then Tang went to sit down. It was Ting Ting’s question next. King and Ram were a bit concerned about Ting Ting. She was the boldest one out of the bunch. Ram especially knew how Ting Ting could get. He couldn’t imagine what kind of question would come out of her mouth.

Ting Ting smiled wickedly at King and King knew it was going to be something invasive. Ting Ting asked her question, “P’King, here is your question: Does Ram prefer boxers or briefs?”

There was a collective gasp at the question. Ting Ting stood proudly and had a huge smile on her face.

King looked at Ram but he was quickly writing down his answer. He finished writing and flipped over his dry erase board. He slowly looked up and made eye contact with King. Ram then winked at him. King heard squeals. Their friends saw that. King looked at Ting Ting.

“Neither. He likes boxer briefs,” King said confidently, remembering the answer from when they played Would You Rather. (refer to Chapter 22-Friends Together in Sunshine and Shade)

Ram smirked and flipped the dry erase board over. There was an eruption of hoots and hollers.

“Oh, ho! King you sly fella!”, Boss said. Mek slapped his arm.

“Anyway, P’King’s answer is correct, so he has four points. Here you go,” Ting Ting handed over the jar of blue slips and King fished one out.

“Nong Phu…,” King said. Phu happily got up and smiled at the couple and the rest of the group.

“The first time I noticed something was going on between Ram and King was when P’King helped us with one of our assignments. They kept glancing at each other thinking that nobody else noticed. The one thing that stood out was that P’King gave Ram summarized notes of our assignment. After that, P’King was often giving Ram tutoring sessions,” Phu shared.

“Like everyone else who has spoken, I am very happy for you both and support your relationship. I am sorry. I couldn’t think of anything else, so my reward for you both are movie tickets so you both can do something fun. I hope you enjoy it and congratulations again!”, Phu said.

“Thanks, Nong Phu,” King stated with appreciation.

“Thanks, Phu,” Ram said to his friend. Since they started King’s test, he kind of felt guilty for what they put Bohn through during his tests. This test was nice compared to what they did. He hoped the other tests turned out not to be bad either.

“Since I’m up here anyway, I’ll give you question #5, which is related to your recent reward. P’King, what kind of movies does Ram like to watch?”, Ram immediately started writing on the dry erase board.

King and Ram remembered Monday night when they stayed home all day and watched Netflix. King was wondering when the questions were going to get harder and said, “Action Movies, like martial arts films, or comedies.” (refer to Chapter 11-Rainy Days and Mondays)

Ram flipped his board over and showed the group that he had written “Martial Arts or Comedies” on his dry erase board. Ram was glad that the questions were easy for King. This test was making him think about how they got to this point in their relationship. Ram thought it was actually kind of nice to reminisce about how their relationship developed.

“P’King’s correct again! P’King has five points!”, Phu affirmed. He brought the jar to King and King picked out a blue slip. He looked at it confused, looked up at the group, and then looked at Ram.

“Cool Boy?”, King questioned. King was confused and had not remembered anyone saying that Ram was rewarding him also. What King did not know was that Ram was in the reward jar three times. Although they didn’t choose to come out to everyone, Ram wanted to reassure King that he was okay with going public and that he was happy being with him. He also felt like he needed to practice doing Couple things and what better way to do so in front of their friends. When Ram decided that he would reward King in this way, he was committed. Plus, Ram had been missing King and had very little interaction with him for hours. Giving King a reward would be a win-win.

Ram turned in his chair and looked at King.

“What are you doing?”, King asked softly as he turned his body to face Ram. King and Ram’s friends were watching in suspense to see what Ram was going to reward King with.

Ram brought his hands up to King’s face and King’s eyes grew wide as he realized what Ram was going to do. Ram rubbed his thumbs along King’s cheeks. Before King could say anything, Ram leaned forward so his lips could touch King’s. As soon as King felt Ram’s soft lips against his own, he felt a jolt go through his body. He breathed in Ram’s scent and forgot where he was for a second. Before the kiss got deeper and longer, Ram pulled away but not before he rubbed his nose against King’s. Ram was amused at how dazed King was after the kiss. When King snapped out of it, he finally realized that he was so zoned out that he hadn’t heard all the cheers and yelling going on around him.

“You broke him, Nong Ram!”, Bohn teased as Duen smiled at the pair. Ram smiled at King and turned to face their friends again. King slowly turned also to find that there was commentary from the peanut gallery.

“That was so hot!”, Pun said, not realizing that he said it out loud. Nott gave him a dirty look.

“You guys are so cute!”, Ting Ting commented before screeching like a fangirl. Tang looked at her and shook his head.

Phu brought his hands up to calm everyone down.

“Okay, P’King has answered 5/10 questions correctly. He just needs three more to pass the test!”, Phu informed the group. King and Ram’s friends cheered King on.

“You can do it!”, yelled Boss. The rest of the group also shouted words of encouragement for King.

“The next 5 questions will be a little harder. Are you ready, P’King?”, Phu asked.

“I’m ready, “King proclaimed. King thought about the possible questions they could ask him.

“Tang?”, Phu said as he gestured for Tang to come up to ask his question.

“Okay, P’King. The sixth question is: What is something that Ram did with his family as a kid?”

King thought about that time they looked at the constellations and then looked at Ram. Ram was writing his answer down but felt like someone was staring at him. He looked up to see King looking at him. He raised his eyebrows when King gave him a questioning look. Ram nodded and smiled at King and King smiled in return.

“Are they talking without talking again?”, Boss asked. Mek sighed.

“It seems like it,” Tee answered, noticing the same thing.

“Okay, my answer is his family would look at stars or constellations?”, King answered, hoping that it was correct.

Ram flipped over his board and Tang looked at his answer.

“Correct! Ram says they used to look at constellations. Six points for P’King!,” Tang announced as King and Ram’s friends continued to cheer for him. Tang brought the jar to King, who took another blue slip of paper out. (refer to Chapter 4-Eating, Stargazing, and Betrayal)

“P’Thara and Frong?”, King announced and looked at the pair. Thara and Frong were not part of their friend group but kind of were. Duen had invited them to come to the volunteer camp and they tagged along. Ram was close to Thara because he was Duen’s cousin. Thara had been treating King’s medical issues this past week, so he felt like they had gotten a bit closer. What Ram didn’t know was that King was friends with Frong since his family owned a flower shop. Thara and Frong have been paired up the whole trip. King would have to ask Frong later about it.

Thara spoke first and said, “I have known Nong Ram for years and Nong King is the first person I ever saw Ram care so much about besides Duen and his other friends. I have seen you both at your worst and how much you care about and take care of each other. I’m glad Nong Ram found his special someone and I hope we can become good friends, too! Congratulations!”

King nodded and mouthed thank you to Thara as Frong started talking next.

“King is a regular at my family’s flower shop so I know him pretty well. I don’t know Nong Ram as much, but he seems to make King happy and that’s what counts. I hope we can get to know each other better, too. We support and will back you both up as well. Congratulations to you both! King, your reward for your correct answer is your choice of a bouquet, flower, or plant from my family’s flower shop!”, informed Frong as he smiled at his friend.

King perked up, his eyes widened, and a smile spread across his face at the thought of getting a new plant or flower. Ram watched as King got excited about the thought of a new plant. Ram shook his head and thought King looked so adorable right now.

“Awe, thank you, Frong and P’Thara!”, King stated enthusiastically.

Duen got up next and stood in front of King and Ram. He asked his question to King.

“Okay, P’King! Here is the seventh question: What are the names of Ram’s dogs?”

King’s eyes widened as he watched Ram write down his dog’s names. King honestly was so afraid of them that he hadn’t paid attention to what their names were. He felt bad because everyone knew how much Ram loved dogs and it should be something that he knew but he did not. He looked down at the ground.

Ram finished writing and flipped his board over so it was face down on his lap. He looked over at King and realized that he looked disheartened. Ram knew that King didn’t know his dog’s names. There was no reason for him to know their names. Because of King’s fear, Ram had kept his dogs away from King as much as possible. He tried to give King a small smile to set him at ease and let him know that it was okay he didn’t know their names.

“P’King? Your answer?”, Duen asked.

“I don’t know,” King said dejectedly. King being King had wanted to ace this test, but he guessed it wasn’t in the cards.

Duen was surprised that King didn’t know the dogs’ names. Ram continued to try to smile at King to let him know that it was okay for him not to know them as he flipped his dry erase board listing  
“Ro-rue, Mor-mah, Sara-r.” (from Space Between Us translation by taynewlovebot)

Duen felt bad and said, “Sorry, P’King. I thought you would know their names. He grabbed the other jar with the red slips of paper and brought it to King to pull out a name. Ram didn’t like a sad King, so he rubbed King’s back to reassure him that it was okay.

“P’Thara and Frong,” King said, waiting for what he may have to do because he didn’t know Ram’s dogs’ names. He was making a pact with himself that he would learn their names and be able to tell the dogs apart when Thara started talking.

“Sorry King. It’s just one question, so don’t feel bad. It just means that there is more to learn about Nong Ram. You have been doing great so far, so keep it up! P’Thara and I split things up. I got the reward and he got the consequence, so P’Thara will tell you what you will have to do,” Frong mentioned to King.

Thara smiled at King and Ram and admitted, “It’s not bad, Nong King. Since you and Nong Ram are so popular and handsome, your consequence is that you both will have to participate in our Blood Drive in a few weeks to help encourage people to donate blood for the University Hospital.”

King didn’t think it was that bad of a consequence. It was for a good cause. As long as he didn’t have to stick a needle in his arm, he would be fine. He gave Ram a questioning look to confirm Ram’s agreement and Ram nodded as he removed his hand from King’s back.

“No problem, P’Thara. Ram and I will assist you with the Blood Drive,” King declared.

“Thank you both! You are definitely going to help our cause!,” Thara proclaimed.

King realized that Ting Ting was next. He wasn’t sure what to expect from her this time around.

Ting Ting walked up and updated King’s standings.

“Okay, P’King has answered 6/10 questions correctly. He just needs two more to pass. For this question, King you need to turn your body so you are not looking at Ram,” Ting Ting instructed. King looked at her confused before he turned his body to look towards the forest and waited for his question.

“The eighth question is: Can you please name three of Ram’s tattoos and their locations?”, Ting Ting asked.

Ram was about to write on his dry erase board, but Ting Ting stopped him.

“Ram, you don’t have to write them down. You can just show us to confirm,” Ting Ting suggested to Ram. Ram nodded and waited for King’s answer.

“Ram has a tattoo of a dreamcatcher on the left side of his neck,” King said as his left hand went up to touch his neck. Ram showed the group the dreamcatcher. King loved that tattoo. It was the first thing he noticed the first time he saw Ram in the library.

“Ram has a tattoo of a turtle on a wave on his upper left arm,” King said as he brought his right hand up to his upper left arm. Ram took off his jacket and pulled up his sleeve on his left arm to show his turtle. Ram thought about that morning when he woke up, King was gently touching his tattoo, and they talked about his dad.

“Another tattoo Ram has is of a dog or husky in a triangle on his right forearm,” King said as he tapped his right forearm with his left hand. Ram pulled up his sleeve on his right arm and showed everyone the dog tattoo.” King and Ram remembered that rainy day on the bus together. It was just another situation that brought them closer together.

“Great job, P’King! You were able to successfully name three tattoos and their locations!! You get another reward and you have seven questions answered correctly!”, Ting Ting announced as she brought over the jar with blue strips to King. King pulled another strip out and stared at the piece of paper.

“Nott and Pun?”, King questioned. He didn’t know that they were participating, too.

Nott spoke first and said, “King, you and I have been friends for years, and I have never seen you interested in anybody. Pun and I have been observing you both since you got on the bus together and it seems like you both care for each other a lot.” Nott turned to Ram.

“Thanks, Nong Ram for taking King out of the single’s club!”, Nott stated and snickered. King rolled his eyes at his friend.

Everyone laughed, including Ram and King, who was shaking his head.

Pun added, “We are so sorry about what happened today with Aranya, the fight, and the social media posts. We hope things will get better. We are still here to support you and help you both if you need us. Our reward for you is…”

King and Ram and the rest of their friends waited and watched as Nott and Pun looked at each other, smiled widely, and yelled, “A weekend getaway at the beach!”

“What!”, King exclaimed. King and Ram looked at each other and back at Nott and Pun to check if they were joking, but the couple was completely serious.

“Pun’s family owns a beach house and he can secure it for you guys to use on a weekend of your choice,” Nott shared excitedly.

“Guys, that’s too much. Ram and I can’t do that,” King stated. Ram nodded in agreement.

“King, we’re friends. The beach house is empty most of the year. Just think of it as you doing my family a favor for actually using our investment. Plus, Nott and I both believe that it is sometimes nice to get some quality time away and …alone,” Pun said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

King and Ram both blushed.

“We are not taking no for an answer, so just accept it,” Nott demanded. Nott and Pun smiled happily at the other couple. King looked at Ram and then back at his two friends.

“Okay, okay. Thank you, guys. You didn’t have to do that, but wow!”, King said. King was amazed at what his friends have done for him and Ram. They had such great friends. His thoughts were interrupted as Duen stood in front of them.

“King’s score is 7/10. We have two questions left. King needs one more to pass the test. Here is the next question: Can you name one thing that embarrasses Ram?”

Ram glared at Duen and Duen just shrugged. Duen didn’t care. It was embarrassing to be tied to a tree while your boyfriend and best friend box each other. Ram looked up at the night sky to think of something that embarrasses him. He looked at King and thought about their relationship and how new it was. He wrote something down on his dry erase board.

King, on the other hand, knew immediately what he was going to answer. He just hoped that Ram was thinking the same thing.

“P’King, do you have an answer?”, Duen asked.

“Yes. One thing that Cool Boy is embarrassed about…”, King started to say. He turned his head to look at Ram who was waiting for his answer. King looked back at Duen.

“...is his birthmark that is the shape of a dog paw on his left butt cheek,” King finished quickly. He looked at Ram. Ram started turning red and covered his face with the dry erase board. Ram started hearing his friends.

“Wait, what!”, Phu and Tang yelled.

“Really? Can we see it?”, Ting Ting asked but shut her mouth when Tang glared at her.

"Ram, can you show us your answer?", Duen interrupted to get to the point of the whole exercise. Ram looked sadly down at the dry erase board before he flipped it over to show everyone.

King and their friends looked at what was written on Ram’s dry erase board, which was successfully covering his face. Ram had written, “This being my first relationship ever.” Ram was even more embarrassed now that he completely forgot about his birthmark that King knew about. Now, he shared two things that were embarrassing instead of one. Technically, this moment was embarrassing.

“Cool Boy, “King said. He got no response. “Cool Boy, “King said again but got no response.

“Ram…”, King finally said. Ram looked up from the board and looked at King. King was only supposed to call him Ram on special occasions or when he was intensely happy or feeling good. King looked at him adoringly and said, “Cool Boy, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. You are my first real relationship, too. It just means we are going to learn and grow how we want our relationship to be, together, right?” King looked at Ram sincerely and the sides of his mouth turned up in a small smile. Ram put the board down completely and nodded at King.

“Awe, you two are so cute!”, Ting Ting stated. Tang rolled his eyes.

“Nong Ram, you don’t have to be embarrassed that this is your first relationship. You probably waited until the right person came along, right?”, Nott said. Ram smiled at that and nodded. Pun kissed Nott on the cheek for his sweet comment.

“I agree with Nott, Nong Ram. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. All relationships are a bit awkward at the beginning. Besides, I doubt people can even tell that this is your first relationship anyway. Based on all the comments on the posts of you and King and our observations of your interactions with each other, I think most of us don’t sense any awkwardness between you. You both have a connection and closeness with each other that is unique and special and that is what most people are focusing on,” Bohn shared. King was touched by his best friend’s words while Duen looked at his boyfriend surprised and impressed. With a huge smile on his face, Duen kissed Bohn on the cheek.

“Oh, man! All these couples! I am going to die alone!”, Ting Ting declared. Tang looked at her, cleared his throat, and crossed his arms. She looked at Tang for a second before she amended, “I mean, I’m going to die alone with Tang!” Tang slapped his hand to his forehead, shaking his head at Ting Ting, making the rest of the friends laugh.

Duen spoke up, “Sorry, P’King you have to take from the red jar.” Duen brought the jar to King who took out a strip of paper and read it. He swallowed.

“Nong Ting Ting…”, King said. Ting Ting jumped up and screamed. King and Ram looked at each other and hoped that her consequence would not be that bad.

“I am sorry you missed the question, P’King. I’m kind of glad you missed it though because now you and Ram will have to do something that could help a lot of people and look good while doing it. Your consequence is that you and Ram have to be models for the charity fashion show the medical faculty is throwing to support breast cancer awareness and research,” Ting Ting informed the couple.

King and Ram looked at each other. King nodded slightly to Ram. He wanted to do it because it was a good cause. Ram nodded in agreement.

“We’ll do it! How bad could it be?”, King said. Ting Ting shrieked.

“I’m so excited! You will not regret it. Thank you so much!”, Ting Ting exclaimed.

Phu decided to finish up the test, “Okay everybody! Settle down. Currently, P’King has 7/10 questions answered correctly. We have one last question and he needs that one to pass the test. P’King are you ready?” King nodded and waited anxiously. King needed to pass this test.

Phu continued, “The last question is: Can you provide the name of one of Ram’s blood relatives?”

Ram knew what King would answer and wrote it on the dry erase board. King smiled brightly and answered confidently, “Ram’s brother, Ruj!” Ram flipped his dry erase board and Ruj’s name was on it. Cheers and hollers were heard.

“P’King, that is correct! You passed the test!

Ram quickly got out of his chair and went straight for King. He put his hands on King’s face and said, “Great job, P’King! I knew you would pass the test!” He then leaned into King and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Ram moved his head back and smiled at King. King smiled back but then quickly leaned forward and rubbed his nose against Ram’s nose. He leaned back and continued to look at Ram adoringly. King and Ram continued to stare at each other and then realized that everything was quiet. They both realized that they weren’t alone and turned to look at their friends.

Bohn had his arm around Duen’s shoulders and Nott had his arm around Pun as they watched Ram and King, tickled by what they were watching. Ting Ting, Tang, Phu, and Tee were standing and were smiling at them. Boss was pointing at them and he and Mek were giggling at how cute the couple was. Thara and Frong were standing by each other whispering as they watched Ram and King be sweet with each other.

Tee said, “We’re like the air. You guys don’t even realize that people are around you. That’s like the 2nd time today, isn’t it?”, as he shook his head in amusement.

Ting Ting jumped in, “Don’t mind us! You guys are so sweet to each other!”

“...and hot,” she whispered. Tang heard her and shook his head.

Ram started to blush and put his forehead on King’s shoulder. King patted his head.

Phu went up to King and Ram and brought the jar with the blue strips, “P’King, Ram attacked you before you received your reward.” Ram brought his head up to glare at Phu before going back to watch King.

King laughed and took one of the strips and unfolded it. He read the name aloud, “Mek and Boss.”

Boss smiled excitedly as he stood up and Mek followed him. Mek spoke first to King.

“I’ve suspected something has been going on with you and Nong Ram for some time now. You kept on disappearing to tutor a “junior” and would watch Nong Ram whenever he was in your line of sight.” Ram didn’t know that and turned his head to look at King who was trying not to look at Ram.

Mek continued, “We are both happy that you both figured things out and are now together. We completely support you like everyone else and will always be there for you, too!” Boss nodded in agreement.

Boss added, “I knew something was up when you posted that profile picture! I knew that was Nong Ram’s tattoo! We are very happy for you both, support you, and wish you the best! Your reward is…,” Boss teased King and waited. Everyone was waiting for Boss to say something and he was just standing there, saying nothing.

“What is it, Boss?”, King yelled.

“Your reward is two tickets to Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden! We know you’ve wanted to go there, so here’s your chance with your special someone!”, Boss smiled at King and Ram.

King was shocked and excited, then looked at Ram and said, “Cool Boy! I’ve wanted to go there for a long time!”

King turned to his two friends and said, “Thank you so much!”

King then turned to the rest of the group as he grabbed Ram’s hand in his. He looked at Ram before looking at the group.

“Nong Phu, Nong Ting Ting, Nong Tang, and Nong Duen, thank you so much for setting up the test the way you did and showing Ram and me that our friends are the best friends to have in the whole world for all the support and love you have for us and our relationship. Tee, Bohn, Mek, Boss, Nott, Pun, Thara, and Frong, thank you for being willing to participate with these Nongs. Thanks to all of you for the rewards you gave us and the consequences that we would never decline since they are for good causes,” King expressed.

King looked at Ram’s friends and continued, “You guys didn’t have to make the test so nice for me.”

Duen spoke up, “We figured that it was upsetting about what P’Aranya did and were worried about you both being concerned about how people would respond. We wanted you to know that all of your friends are here for you, accept you, and support you.”

“The idea of giving you rewards for your answers was to reinforce, not only how much we love you both individually, but how much we think you are such a great match together! With everything that happened this morning, we all wanted to do something for you guys to cheer you up and to give you more cool opportunities to spend time with each other,” Tang shared.

“We didn’t think you would get anything wrong, but also didn’t want to punish you. We figured utilizing your assets for charitable activities would do the job, “Ting Ting informed the couple, giggling because she was excited to see them get dressed up.

King and Ram were so touched by the thoughtfulness of their friends that they didn’t know what to say.

Ram went up to his friends and thanked them as King went up to his friends. Ram’s friends opened their arms to hug Ram as King’s friends opened their arms to King. Kind words and congratulations were spoken to King and Ram as they both thanked each of their friends. After they expressed their appreciation, King and Ram were led back to each other. King put his arm loosely around Ram’s shoulders as Ram wrapped his arm around King’s waist.

“Let’s hear it for King and Ram!”, Boss yelled. The group cheered.

“It was so fun having all of us together. We should try to do more combined gatherings, “ Tang chimed in. Everyone nodded and expressed their agreement. The group started chatting with each other as they put out the fire and cleaned up the mess they made.

King and Ram were so overwhelmed by the love and support of their friends. They couldn’t have asked for better people around them. It made it easier for them to feel good about being out and being together. The friends chatted as they walked back towards the tents. King still had his arm around Ram’s shoulders as they walked behind the rest of the group. King then turned his head and pressed his nose to Ram’s cheek and quickly sniffed him. Ram responded with a quick rub of his nose on King’s nose before kissing the tip of King's nose. They both smiled at each other affectionately before they joined their friends’ conversations, laughed at their jokes and antics, and happily walked together as a couple back to the tents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you like it? I hope everyone was pleased with how the test turned out.
> 
> Mention of their friends as the "air" was taken from Krist and Singto's fandom, Peraya, who are often called the "air."
> 
> I hope everyone noticed the references to the episodes and the chapters for the answers! It was kind of nice to reminisce about what has happened in this story! I can't believe I have written 26 chapters and probably still have more chapters to write to get through the first season.
> 
> Please comment if you'd like me to eventually do a chapter on each of King's and Ram's "rewards" and "consequences" after we get through the volunteer camp trip, Ram's dinner with his parents, and King and Ram's date over the weekend. I swear I have so much more to write.
> 
> I hope you were able to get through this long chapter and enjoyed it! Take care!


	27. Test 2: Wanna Spend Time With You-Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King gets his friends to help assist him with preparing for Tang's Test. King is able to come up with something last minute and things go better than planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this was so late! Test 2 turned out to be around 10000 words so editing was taking forever and I was debating with myself for days whether I should break it into 2 chapters or keep it as one. I didn't like posting the test at separate times, so I decided to post the whole test into 2 chapters at the same time. That was the compromise I made with myself.
> 
> Sorry if there were any errors or mistakes. It was difficult to get through all the things I had imagined in my head and I hope I was able to describe it all in a way that you all will understand and enjoy. 
> 
> Happy Reading! Here is part 1!

Ram was talking to his friends as the group walked towards their tents. King made eye contact with Nott and Pun, who both nodded at him. Nott and Pun waved goodbye to the Nongs and the other seniors, then walked towards the dining area. King then looked to Mek and Boss, who attempted to nod discreetly and failed. Ram noticed King and looked at him suspiciously. Mek made an excuse about having to go do something and grabbed Boss to go with him.

Ram looked at King curiously. King attempted to look innocent and turned to talk to Bohn, who was holding Duen’s hand. Ram wondered what was going on.

Tee turned to Bohn and King and asked, “Are you guys coming? Let’s get the stuff prepared quickly, so we can go to sleep early.” King turned to Ram as Bohn talked to Duen.

“Cool Boy, I have to do rounds and help prepare for the morning hike tomorrow. Can you wait for me before you get ready for bed? I don’t want to shower by myself. Um, uh, what if I faint or something?”, King said as he attempted to appear concerned about his health. He didn’t want Ram to get changed yet.

“Of course I’ll wait for you. I’ll just hang out with my friends until you get back,“ Ram said. King beamed at Ram before kissing him on the cheek. He made eye contact with Bohn and gestured his head to say they should go. Bohn leaned in to kiss Duen’s cheek and said goodbye. Ram and Duen watched King and Bohn talk animatedly as they caught up with Tee.

“What was that about?”, Duen asked. The Nongs all watched the seniors walk away. Ting Ting suddenly got a notification and looked at her phone.

 **P’King** : Nong, can you please distract  
Cool Boy while I set up for the  
second test?

 **Ting Ting** : No problem, P’!

“I don’t know,” Ram said. Ting Ting made eye contact with Tang, who realized what was happening. Tang knew exactly what he could do to help P’King out.

“Ram, did you find other stuff to do for your date this weekend?”, Tang asked. Ram brought his phone out and started talking to his friends about some of the pending details as they walked back to Duen’s tent. Tang and Ting Ting smiled at each other, following their friends.  
****************  
King talked to Bohn and Tee about the tasks he assigned them to do and then went off to make his rounds. King noticed that there was a distinct difference in how people treated him tonight compared to last night. King remembered to announce himself outside the tents and he found many people commenting on how terrible Aranya was for attacking him and Ram. Word had got out about Aranya and her team getting arrested for what they did. It also seemed that the video of Ram defending him and King from the three guys got out also. King did not get hit on and received no invitations to join people in their tents likely because they did not want to deal with an angry Ram. King was surprised that people were congratulating him on his new relationship with Ram.

King didn’t like people telling him how lucky he was that his boyfriend was so hot. He did not like how people were talking about how nice Ram's body was or other inappropriate comments about Ram. King knew Ram had a nice body and was handsome, but he didn’t like the innuendo. King quickly got through his rounds and went back to catch up with his friends.

His first stop was the dining area. He found Nott and Punn putting food in a basket.

“Did you guys get everything?”, King asked as he looked into the basket.

Pun turned around and answered, “Yes. We got everything that you asked for. We were able to get bananas, chocolate, marshmallows, coconut, graham crackers, nuts, foil, utensils, cups, and plates. We also put in a few fruits, steam buns, sandwiches, juice, and bottled water in the cooler part of the basket. We also found someone willing to sell us a bottle of wine that they had brought to camp."

“It’s good that the staff had all of the items you asked for and offered us other stuff, like this picnic basket!”, Nott stated as he put everything in the insulated basket. He handed it over to King.

“We hope you have a great date with Nong Ram,” Pun stated.

“Don’t do anything we would do,” Nott teased. King laughed.

“Thanks again for your help! I owe you guys! See you!”, King said as he took the basket and left the couple to go towards his next destination.  
**************  
Ram and his friends were hanging outside of Duen’s tent. His friends were pleased about how well the first test went. King and Ram seemed so appreciative. Ram's friends were excited at the prospect of King working on the second test and that King would try to come up with something special for Ram.

Ram and his friends had tested Bohn because they wanted to make sure Bohn was sincere and willing to do whatever it took to be with Duen. Ram was super protective of his best friend and Tang, Ting Ting, and Phu couldn’t get Ram to change his mind about the boxing test.

Ram’s friends’ response to testing King was a bit different from Bohn. They all liked King and thought he was a good guy. King had always favored Ram compared to the other juniors. King would seek Ram out, tutor him, give him notes, and eat with him. Ram’s friends had watched as he and King got closer over time. They could have thrown out the tests for King, but Duen expressed the need for things to be fair for his best friend. Duen was still upset about the fight because he knew of Ram’s boxing background and how much Ram could have hurt Bohn.

Still, the friends did not want to do anything to make King suffer. With Ram’s disclosure about Pin and his dad’s affair, they were more than willing to help King do what was needed to help Ram feel loved, special, relaxed, and happy. The friends were willing to distract Ram so he can fully experience the King's surprise date tonight.

Tang and Ting Ting gave each other meaningful looks before Tang whispered to Ram about something.

“Ram, I may need some help preparing for a date, too!”, Tang shared. Ram’s eyes widened.

“What!”, Ram whispered surprised as he turned his head swiftly to look at Tang. Ting Ting glanced over and hid a small smile on her face.  
*****************  
King walked towards the east side of camp, past all the tents. He took out his phone to use as a flashlight as he followed along the path for a few minutes until the trees became more sparse. He then saw the view of the lake. Tee and Bohn had asked around for some romantic places in the area near the camp. The location near the lake on the east side of the camp was the one place that kept coming up in conversations. As soon as King knew where to go, he had come up with the idea of pitching up a tent away from everyone else to spend some quality time with Ram.

From the beginning, King knew he had to get the food and drinks figured out since they were requirements for the test. Nott and Punn were the first people he had found to help him and they had brainstormed some ideas and were willing to get all the food and drinks together. When he had met up with the other hazers after Duen was found, he had given them all tasks to do.

As King walked up to the lake, he noticed a few flashlights on the ground pointing at Mek and Boss as they were pitching a tent by the lake. King and Ram’s backpacks and sleeping gear were laying on the grass next to the tent. King also noticed a stack of firewood and that Tee had prepared a fire pit. Bohn was sitting on the grass looking at his phone while pointing a flashlight at Tee as he was trying to light a campfire. King strolled up to the group to find out how things were going.

“Hey!”, King said as he announced his presence.

“Hey!”, Mek, Boss, Tee, and Bohn greeted King.

Mek alerted King that they were almost done with the tent and that they would put their stuff inside the tent once they were done. King nodded but then noticed that there was only one sleeping bag.

“Where’s the other sleeping bag?”, King asked.

“We left it in your other tent. If you only have one sleeping bag, you guys are going to have to share, snuggle, and cuddle, “Boss said as he waggled his eyebrows.

King blushed. Mek slapped Boss in the back of the head and whispered for him to stop teasing King. King decided to ignore Boss and check on Tee and Bohn.

King noticed that Tee had dug a one-foot pit and surrounded it with rocks. Tee updated King. “I’m preparing your campfire now and it should be ready once you bring Ram here.”

“Thanks, guys!”, King said to his friends. His romantic date with Ram was falling into place. He then looked at Bohn.

“I just finished the playlist and shared it on your Spotify. I also found a pair of what you asked for and put them in the front pocket of your bag. I also found the answer for you. It’s 6:10,” Bohn said.

“Thanks, Bohn! That helps me a lot”, King said appreciatively to Bohn. King put the basket down near the tent and made sure everything was in place. After everything looked good, he asked his friends to wrap things up and to have someone stay to watch the fire until King came back with Ram. Bohn and Tee volunteered to stay behind. King thanked his friends again, grabbed his flashlight, and walked back to camp to get Ram.  
*****************  
Tang had shared with Ram that he was planning to take someone out on a date. Ram suspected it was Ting Ting but Tang wouldn’t tell him. Ram spent a while trying to sneakily get Tang to admit it, but Tang was not having it. Ram ended up helping Tang find a romantic place to take his date that was near their university. Then they just started talking about university and their classes once the semester starts.

Duen and Ting Ting were talking and Ram suspected they were planning something. Ram could feel them looking at him. Phu was playing a game on his phone but was listening because he would occasionally comment on the conversation.

He was about to text King to see where he was but saw his boyfriend coming towards him with a smile. Ram smiled back at him and waited until King got to the group.

“Hey, Nongs! Can I take Cool Boy off your hands?”, King asked.

“Sure, P’King! Have fun!”, Ting Ting answered.

“We hope you have a great night!”, Duen said.

“Ram, have a good time!”, Tang stated.

“Enjoy yourselves!”, Phu added.

Ram looked at his friends confused. Ram thought that he and King were going back to their tent to get ready for bed after their long and tiring day. Ram stood up next to King. Ram and King waved to Ram’s friends and the friends waved back with huge smiles on their faces. Ram looked at them thinking that they were still acting oddly when King patted his shoulder and nodded for Ram to follow him.

Tang commented when they were out of earshot, “Test number two has begun.” The friends all nodded to each other and smiled, confident that King will make Ram feel special on their date tonight.  
**********************  
Ram and King were walking together when Ram noticed they were walking away from their tent.

“Where are we going? Our tent is the other way”, Ram asked, curious about what was going on.

“It’s a surprise, “King said and smiled sweetly at Ram. King grabbed Ram's hand and pulled him past the tents.

Ram realized that they were leaving the campground as King turned on his flashlight to follow the path through the forest. Ram wasn’t sure what to make of what was going on, but then he saw a light in the distance. As they got closer, Ram saw that there was a tent on the lake illuminated by orange flames from a campfire. The lake was still and quiet, allowing the moon and the stars to reflect upon it. It was beautiful and romantic. Ram thought it was sweet of King to do this for him.

King was a little nervous. He hoped that all the plans that he made would please Ram. He had been thinking about the date since they woke up from their nap. He hoped that Ram would appreciate the effort.

King looked at Ram tenderly and held his hand tighter as he brought him closer to the lake. King noticed that everything was set up as planned and that his friends had even added things that he completely forgot from his mind. It looked like his friends had put a mat near the fire for him and Ram to sit on while they looked upon the fire, the lake, the moon, and the stars. Their bags were put away in the tent and the picnic basket was near the mat. There were stacks of tinder, kindling, and firewood to the side to last them the night. King owed his friends for all that they had done.

King noticed his friends were standing behind one of the trees talking when he and Ram got to the tent. He made eye contact with Bohn, who gave him a wink before he saw Mek, Boss, and Tee give him a thumbs up. Ram noticed the seniors and wai’d them. They waved at the couple before walking off, leaving the couple alone by the lake.  
***************  
Ram was impressed that King planned a night together considering the day they had. With waking up early, setting up, tree planting, the confrontation with Aranya, and trying to find Duen, he was amazed that King did not want to sleep right now. Ram thought about it.

“Is this a test?”, Ram asked and looked at King.

King tried to avoid Ram’s gaze. All this was set up because of the test but he did want to do something special for Ram. With all that Ram has been through the last week, King wanted to help Ram feel better. Ram was also always taking care of him, so he wanted to return the favor.

“Yes, it is, Cool Boy! You are too smart for your own good,” King admitted and looked down to the ground briefly. He brought his head up to look at Ram.

“My instructions were to take you on a romantic date. They didn’t give me any other guidance. I wanted to do more than just a date for you so we pitched the tent and brought our stuff over here to stay here for the night. I have a whole night in store for us. Are you disappointed that this was done because of a test?”, King inquired as he put his arms around Ram’s neck. Ram wrapped his arms around King’s torso.

“No. I think I owe my friends for the tests today. Their test ideas have been thoughtful and meaningful to me. I can’t believe your test was to take me on a date! How would this be challenging for you? You could have just brought me food in our tent and I would have been satisfied with that," Ram admitted. King pulled a little bit away from Ram.

“So, do you want to pack our stuff up and go back to our tent?”, King teased. Ram shook his head.

“No. I want to see what your plans are for our date. I like the idea of spending the night with you here near the lake,” Ram stated. King nodded, grinning ear to ear.

“Handsome Sir, please sit down while I put some music on,” King stated as he dramatically gestured for Ram to sit down on the mat. He went back to the tent to find his bag to find his phone charger, plugged in his phone, and played Bohn’s playlist on Spotify. King then sat next to Ram and started looking through the picnic basket. Ram started to hear [Ed Sheeran's "Perfect](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vv-BfVoq4g).” Ram looked at King adoringly.

“You are playing English love songs. Wow! I’m impressed, “Ram said. King usually listens to Thai music, so Ram was surprised to hear English songs. King started taking the foil, bananas, and sides out of the picnic basket.

“You got some help picking songs, didn’t you?”, Ram asked King.

“Well, I wanted to show that I was making an effort. Bohn helped me,” King admitted. Ram was enjoying their date and pondered what else King had planned.

Ram put his arm around King’s back and brought his other hand to King’s face to bring it down to his. Ram kissed King’s lips then used the tip of his tongue to trace along King’s luscious lips. King opened his mouth and let Ram’s tongue into his mouth. He sucked on it for a few seconds before sticking his tongue into Ram’s mouth. Ram and King felt heat spreading throughout their bodies as their tongues danced in their mouths. King stopped the kiss with a peck and looked at Ram, who looked like he was a starving man and King was his food.

“Um, are you hungry?”, King asked tentatively. Ram nodded because he was hungry for more of King. King showed him the bananas and other food. Ram snapped out of it, and looked down at the food in King’s hands, realizing that King meant food. He looked at King confused.

King explained, “I wanted to do unique things for this date. It’s the first date I planned for us and wanted us to associate positive things with today despite what happened earlier.”

King grabbed a piece of foil and laid a banana on it. He used a knife to make a deep lengthwise cut along the inside curve of the banana without cutting all the way through. He opened the slit to form a pocket. He gave the foil and banana to Ram. He then repeated the process for himself.

“Okay, now you can choose what you want on top, “King instructed Ram as he showed him all of the sides.

Ram looked at all the choices and decided on marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers, and coconut. He put the ingredients on his banana.

He smiled brightly at King and watched as King put chocolate, marshmallows, nuts, strawberries, and graham crackers on his banana.

“Are you done?”, King asked Ram. Ram nodded. King wrapped the foil around his banana. Ram copied him. King grabbed a tong in the picnic basket and placed the bananas near the rocks around the fire. King got on his phone and set his timer for 10 minutes.

Ram watched King, then looked up at stars in the night sky and then at the fire in front of him. He would never have imagined being with King this way a week ago. The crackling of the fire with the background music was relaxing and intimate. Spotify was playing [Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju8Hr50Ckwk)." Ram thought it was fitting.

King started lip-syncing dramatically to the chorus and pointed to himself then Ram when Alicia Keys sang, "If I ain't got you, yeah..." Ram thought that King was adorable. King was enjoying himself.

“Okay, the banana boats are cooking. Do you want something to drink?”, King asked Ram as he took out the bottle of wine and showed it to him. Ram nodded at King in agreement.

King looked in the basket for the wine opener and some cups and found two plastic stemless wine glasses.

“Wow!”, King said as he looked into the basket.

“What is it?”, Ram asked, wondering what King may have found. King turned to look at Ram and had a wine glass in each hand. One had the word “mermaid” on it with a picture of a mermaid above it. The other one had the word “pirate” with a pirate symbol on it.

“Check out these romantic wine glasses! HA HA HA”, King stated, laughing. He was not surprised that Nott and Punn found some random glasses and put them in the basket.

“Which one do you want?”, King asked.

“You should be the pirate since you probably have a pretty good pirate impression,” Ram said giggling.

King countered, “ARRRR!” King got the wine bottle opener, pulled the cork, then poured wine in each of the glasses.

“You know, your upper body would look good in a mermaid outfit," King said as he gave Ram his wine.

“Don’t tell me we already figured out our costumes for Halloween!”, Ram joked. King thought about it. It wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Maybe!”, King responded and laughed.  
******************  
King and Ram sat in front of the fire, enjoying their wine, the company, and the night. ["From This Moment On" from Shania Twain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-Lp2uC_1lg)" was now playing on Spotify. Ram and King listened to the words of the song, then King suddenly got serious. He looked at the fire and then back at Ram. He brought up his pirate glass and said, “To us!”

“To us!", Ram stated as he clinked the plastic cup against King’s. They both took a sip of the Merlot.

“Hmm, this tastes good”, Ram said.

“I can think of something else that tastes good,” King said as he leaned in so his face was centimeters from Ram’s face.

“What?”, Ram whispered.

“Your lips,” King answered before he leaned in and sucked on Ram's lower lip. King tasted the merlot on his lips and lapped up the taste of the wine with his tongue. They continued to kiss until King’s alarm went off.

“I guess the banana boats are ready, “King said as he pulled away and quickly kissed Ram on the nose. King grabbed the tongs, took the banana boats from the fire, and put them on plates.

Ram was excited to see how the banana boats turned out. He took his plate from King and opened up the foil to see that his marshmallows and chocolate were all melted. King gave him a spoon from the picnic basket. King looked at Ram.

“Ready?”, King said. Ram nodded.

“Let’s eat!”, King said as he and Ram dug into their banana boats and took a bite.

Ram savored the warm banana, marshmallow, and chocolate that was balanced out by coconut and the graham cracker. Ram thought it was really good and told King so.

“Hold on! Before we eat the rest of this, let’s take a picture!”, King suggested.

King put his banana boat in front of him as he put his arm around Ram’s neck while Ram had his mermaid wine glass in one hand and the banana boat in the other. They smiled and King took a picture.

Then, King surprised Ram by pulling him closer and laying a wet kiss on Ram's cheek catching Ram off guard and making him laugh. King took the selfie at that moment, then showed it to Ram. Ram looked at the picture. Ram and King looked at the impromptu picture of them enjoying their time together. They looked genuinely happy. King was satisfied.

King texted Ram’s friends the picture. He went back to eating his banana boat and drinking his wine. After a few seconds, King and Ram got a bunch of text messages expressing how adorable they looked and wishing them a great rest of their date.

King and Ram sat contently together eating and drinking. Ram stared at his boyfriend who seemed to like his banana boat, so much that he had chocolate on the side of his mouth.

Ram pointed at the side of his mouth before pointing at King’s mouth. King got the hint but kept on missing the spot he had chocolate on. Ram took pity on him and brought his thumb up to wipe away the chocolate before bringing the thumb to his mouth to taste it.

“Hmm…,” Ram hummed, as he sucked the chocolate off his thumb.

“Did you want to taste more?”, King asked as he held up a spoonful of his chocolate and strawberry concoction to Ram. Ram nodded before he grabbed King’s wrist and brought the spoon towards his lips. King watched mesmerized as Ram took the spoon in his mouth and closed his eyes as if in ecstasy. He then opened his eyes and stared at King alluringly before pulling the spoon agonizingly slowly out of his mouth and let go of King’s wrist. King then watched as Ram’s tongue came out of that perfect mouth and licked his lips. A sudden burst of heat stirred deeply into King's belly.

“Hmm...that was good,” Ram said seductively as he looked up at King. Ram was enjoying getting King worked up.

King couldn’t take it. He dropped the spoon and grabbed Ram’s face and kissed and sucked the breath out of him. Ram responded by laying King down on the mat as they overheard ["Yummy" by Justin Bieber](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EJ3zbKTWQ8) in the background. Ram and King both thought it was appropriate as they devoured each other by the warm fire under the stars.  
********************  
After their make-out session and drinking more wine by the fire, King and Ram found themselves laying on the mat looking at the stars, talking. King was lying on Ram’s arm. King was pointed up at the sky and they were trying to find Cassiopeia and Cepheus as they did on Saturday night. The sky was clear so that the stars shined and twinkled amongst the dark sky. The reflection of the moon on the lake seemed like a painting. After all that they went through, it was nice to be with King without worries or stress. It was so serene and comfortable to be lying there next to King. Ram couldn’t have wished for a more perfect evening with his King.

Ram kissed King on the forehead.

“I have to give you credit for coming up with this date in a few hours. The banana boats, the music, the ambiance, the lake, the stars, the moon, and just being able to relax with no worries, all of this has made this date so perfect. Thank you, “Ram said.

“Honestly, I had some other ideas but had to squash them. I thought we could go skinny dipping in the lake, but I can’t get my head wet. Knowing how things have been going, something bad would likely happen, so I nixed that one pretty quickly. I was also thinking we could do a romantic scavenger hunt, but with Duen getting lost, I didn’t want to risk it,” King admitted.

“Maybe we can do some of those another time. We’ll have plenty of opportunities,” Ram said as he grabbed King’s hand and kissed his palm. King felt his heart flutter.

“Sure, Cool Boy!”, King said. Suddenly, he felt pain on his head and brought his hand up close to the stitch area. Ram noticed immediately and got up to check on him while King was lying down.

“P’King are you okay? Should we get your medicine?”, Ram asked.

“I forgot that we were drinking. It’s good that we took medicine a few hours ago. I don’t think we can take medicine right now after drinking all that wine, "King said.

“How are your ribs feeling?”, King asked, concerned about Ram as he gently brought his hand to Ram’s ribs.

“They are achy but not terribly so. I’m okay. I want to make you feel better,” Ram said. King looked at Ram warily and made sure he was not lying.

“This whole date was to make you feel better though,” King pointed out as he brought his hand up to run his fingers through Ram’s hair.

“I think I’ll be okay as long as I don’t do anything too strenuous,” Ram said.

“Okay. Well, let’s put all the stuff away and extinguish the fire before we decide what we are going to do for the rest of the night. King and Ram got up to pick up all the food, drinks, and trash. Ram put the picnic basket in their tent while King went to extinguish the campfire before they both got settled into the tent together.  
***************  
Ram looked around the tent as he waited for King to finish putting out the fire and noticed that there was only one sleeping bag. Ram pointed that out to King as he walked into the tent.

King answered, “Yes, there is.” King looked at Ram shyly.

“Come here,“ Ram said as he pulled King onto his lap.

“Cool Boy! Stop it! Your ribs!”, King said worriedly as he got off of Ram. King looked at Ram who did not look like he was in pain at all.

“Should we try to go to sleep? It’s already past midnight. We still have to wake up to get ready for the hike tomorrow morning,” King asked. Ram nodded wanting to let King rest, especially since he was experiencing some pain on his head. King, remembering he had to set his alarm for the next day, grabbed his phone, and did so.

They opened up the sleeping bag and laid on top of it. Ram was on his back and opened up his arms so King could lay down on the side where his ribs were okay. Before King got fully settled in his arms he cupped Ram’s face and nuzzled Ram’s nose with his own before laying a soft kiss to Ram’s lips. Ram put his hand on King’s shoulder as he rubbed his nose against King’s in return. King then laid down and put his left hand on Ram’s chest. Ram grabbed King’s hand and laid small kisses to King’s palm and wrist before laying King’s hand back on his chest.

“Goodnight, my King,” Ram said as he kissed the top of King’s head.

“Goodnight, my Cool Boy,” King said as he tried to snuggle into Ram’s warmth.

King and Ram closed their eyes and attempted to sleep.  
**********************  
One would think that King and Ram would go right to sleep. It was already past midnight, they had woken up early the previous morning, and they had the day they had, yet sleep did not come so easily to King and Ram.

King was still experiencing some pain on his head and he was feeling a bit tense. Ram was worried about King not being able to take his pain medication because they had drunk the wine.

“I can’t sleep, “King said as he sat up.

“I can't sleep either,” Ram admitted.

“Why can’t you sleep?”, King asked.

“I’m worried about your head. Why can’t you sleep?” Ram asked.

“I have a headache and I feel tense,” King answered. Ram thought about it and remembered last night. He smirked at King.

“There are a few things we can do to try to get rid of the headache and the pain,” Ram hinted as he lifted one of his eyebrows. King looked at Ram skeptically.

“What?”, King asked. Ram looked at King with bedroom eyes then slowly took off his shirt. King swallowed, looking at Ram’s bare chest and stomach. He remembered last night and how good Ram's skin felt against his own. He also remembered how his headache magically went away and how easy it was for him to get to sleep.

“We could do that, “King said as he stared at Ram’s body. Kissing and skin contact would be nice and would get rid of his headache. Then, he remembered the other activity he had talked to Bohn about embarrassingly earlier, which would likely have a similar effect.

Because Bohn was “experienced”, King had talked to his best friend about ways to be romantic and “intimate.” Bohn had suggested looking up Couple games and King had found one using dice. Bohn had found some dice that some volunteers had in one of the games they brought to play. King looked in his bag and found the pair of dice in his front pocket. Ram watched as King showed the pair of dice, one red and one blue, on his hand.

“Do you want to play a game with me?”, King asked looking back at Ram bashfully.

“What’s the game?”, Ram asked, sitting up and looking at the dice, intrigued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Links for the songs on Bohn's playlist was embedded in text in case you wanted to listen to them while reading.
> 
> Ready for more of Test 2? Chapter 28-Part 2 is already posted for your enjoyment!


	28. Test 2: Wanna Spend Time With You-Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King may have an idea that could help him and Ram go to sleep. King has a few other things up his sleeve to complete the test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was posted at the same time as Chapter 27, so if you haven't read the first part of Test 2, you might want to read that chapter before this one.
> 
> Here's Test 2 continued. Hope you like the rest of the test!
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains mature content. Please read at your own risk.
> 
> Happy Reading!

“When I was planning for this date, I was looking at all the possible things we could do since we would be alone in the tent, including some Couple games,” King stated quickly, concerned that maybe he wasn’t reading Ram correctly since yesterday. With only dating a few days, King was surprised at how much Ram turns him on and motivates him to want to try to do things with him. King guessed that they may have kind of been dating for a while now and didn’t know it, so it was natural to want to start being more intimate.

Ram was intrigued now. He didn’t think King would want to do anything more than what they did last night. Ram was okay with that because he did not want to pressure King to do more. He was happily surprised that King was interested in being more intimate with him. He gestured for King to explain the game. King got the hint but was still a little nervous. He got out his phone and showed Ram a picture.

Called "The Dice Game," the picture listed a number on one dice that was associated with an action and listed a number on the other dice that was associated with a body part. If die #1 landed on 1, the person would have to lick. It listed suck, stroke, massage, tickle, and rub for the rest of the numbers, respectively. For die #2, the picture listed body parts. If die #2 landed on a 1, the person would have to perform the act on the other person's lips. Ears, neck, inside of thighs, chest, and "privates" were listed for the rest of the numbers, respectively. King explained the game to Ram.

“It’s pretty simple. We would each roll the two dice. One die, let’s say the red, would be an action. The blue die would be the body part. Whatever I role I would have to do to you and vice versa,” King explained as he watched Ram’s response. When Ram went back to stare at the picture on King’s phone, King spoke up.

“We don’t have to do this if you feel uncomfortable. I’m sorry, Cool Boy! I don’t know why I thought this would be something you would want to do, “King said, looking at his lap, thinking that he may have overstepped his boundaries.

Ram was staring at the picture on King’s phone and was imagining a whole myriad of possible combinations. Ram could not respond because he was imagining him and King doing those actions in his head. When King started talking about not having to do it, Ram snapped out of it and looked at King. He grabbed King’s hand and squeezed it.

“Who said I wouldn’t want to do this? I’m sorry, P’King. I kind of got distracted imagining all the actions and body parts on here,” Ram said. King looked up at Ram.

“Do you really want to play this game with me? Are you okay with all the possible combinations here?”, King asked, not wanting to push Ram into doing something he did not want to do. Ram squeezed King’s hand again.

“P’King, are you okay with them? We can modify them if you want,” Ram suggested. He didn’t want King to feel uncomfortable with doing things he was not ready to do either.

“I’m a little nervous because I haven’t done some of these things before, but I’m willing to try if you are,” King admitted hesitantly.

Ram smiled at King and said, “I’m nervous, too, but I kind of want to try to do these things with my sexy boyfriend.” Ram winked at King. King blinked a few times in response.

“Okay, but we’ll tell each other if we don’t feel comfortable with something, right?”, King asked. King didn’t think that would happen but wanted to put it out there anyway. King was getting a bit excited about how the evening was going.

Ram nodded. Ram didn’t think that would happen either. He was invested in playing this game now that he knew King was willing to. Once Ram was committed, he did so with all his heart.

“We’ll just do a few rounds because we have to wake up early, okay?”, King said and Ram nodded in agreement. King took a deep breath and looked at the dice.  
*************  
Ram looked at King, who looked a bit anxious. Ram grabbed King’s phone and leaned it on the tent near their heads. He then had King lay down as he laid on his unbruised side. Ram was willing to go first to put King at ease.

He opened his palm and gestured to King to give him the dice. King handed the dice over to Ram. Ram rolled the dice and King watched on in anticipation.

Ram rolled a 2 on the red dice and a 2 on the blue dice: **SUCK EARS**

Ram looked at King to check if he was okay. King gave him a slight nod of the head, so Ram took that as a green light. Ram leaned forward and licked and nibbled from the top of King’s cartilage down to his ear lobe. King closed his eyes as he started to feel his heart racing and a stirring in his pants. When Ram got to King’s ear lobe, he slowly sucked on it. King felt so good that he hadn’t realized that he had let out a moan. Ram grinned and stopped. He watched as King opened his eyes to realize that it was his turn. He grabbed the dice off the floor of the tent and rolled them.

King rolled a 4 on the red dice and a 2 on the blue dice: **MASSAGE EARS**

King was relieved he got something easy. It’s not like King didn’t want to do the other stuff. Far from it. He just wanted to ease into it.

King pushed Ram to lay down flat on his back as he brought both his hands up to massage Ram’s ears. He started at the top of the ear, much like Ram did and then King rubbed the ears between his thumb and forefinger and worked his way down to Ram’s earlobes. King watched as Ram seemed relaxed and happy, as seen by the smile on his face.

“Do you know that massaging the ears transmits happy emotions into the body by initiating the delivery of brain endorphins?”, King informed Ram as he finished up massaging his ears. Ram shook his head but did feel very happy at the moment. Ram got up and picked up the dice.

Ram rolled a 5 on the red die and a 5 on the blue die: **TICKLE CHEST**

Ram was a bit unsure about how to do this. He pulled on the bottom of King's shirt and helped King take it off. He had King lay down on his back again. He tentatively brought his hand to King's chest and slowly brushed his fingers on the surface of King's chest. King closed his eyes to experience the sensation of Ram's warm fingers going across his skin. He giggled a little because it did tickle at times.

Ram was enjoying touching King's skin on his chest. He would like to touch every single part of King's body. He watched King with his eyes closed, seemingly liking his fingers touching him. Ram decided to try to be a little bolder and moved his finger around King's nipple. King licked his lips.

"Do you like that?", Ram whispered. King nodded as he felt himself getting aroused by Ram's touch. Ram brought his other hand up to King's chest and started to leisurely graze his fingers across King's other nipple. He flicked King's nipples slightly causing King to feel so good that he moaned again without him realizing it. Ram noted that reaction for further episodes in the bedroom and stopped his ministrations. King let out the air that he was holding. He was not sure if he was going to get through this game. King sat up and grabbed the dice.

King rolled a 1 on the red die and 1 on the blue die: **LICK LIPS**

King got on his knees in front of Ram. He grabbed Ram's face and started licking Ram's lips with long strokes as if he was trying to lap up the ice cream from a dripping ice cream cone. Ram started imagining King's tongue doing that to other places. Ram shook his head and discovered King staring at him with a smirk on his face because Ram had zoned out again. Ram quickly grabbed the dice.

Ram rolled a 1 on the red die and 6 on the blue die: **LICK PRIVATES**

King looked at his phone and then his eyes widened at what Ram would have to do. Ram looked like he was a hungry beast ready to attack his prey.

Ram was eager to get down there but noticed that King seemed tense. He sat cross-legged next to King.

“Are you okay? If you don’t want me to do it, I won’t. I can do something else,” Ram said. King sighed. He laid down and put his arm over his face.

“It’s not that. I’m worried that....,” King mumbled into his arm.

“What?”, Ram asked as he took King’s arm off his face.

“I’m worried that you may be too much for me to handle,” King said.

“Isn’t that a good thing?", Ram questioned. King knew Ram was right and he wanted to do this with him. It was just that King thought Ram was so hot and he was afraid he would cum before they even got to anything else.

“Okay, but don’t do it for long, because I may not last,” King admitted. Ram was getting hot and bothered thinking that King was turned on by him. Ram wasn't sure he could get enough of King.

King was about to bring his arm across his face when Ram brought his arm down and kissed King on the lips for a sensual kiss. He then looked King in the eyes. King maintained eye contact with Ram as Ram worked his way down his body and in between King’s legs. Ram looked at King, inquiring with his eyes if it would be okay to take off his pants, and King nodded. Ram brought his hands up to unbutton King’s pants and then slowly unzipped them. Ram pulled his pants down and folded them nicely before putting them on the side of the tent. He then stared at King’s crotch. King was wearing another pair of Hawaiian boxer briefs that fit perfectly around King. Ram couldn’t take his eyes off how snug the boxers were around his thighs and crotch.

King was wearing a multicolored boxer brief with blue and gold flowers on a background of pink and black. Ram thought that King must have a lot of these cute boxer briefs around.

He went up to the top of King’s underwear and then looked at King for permission to take them off. King nodded. Ram slowly took off King’s briefs and then moved his eyes over King's naked body. Ram then stared at King’s cock, which was hard and leaking of pre-cum.

Ram looked up at King before looking back at the beautiful cock in front of him. He slowly spread King’s legs slightly so he could get better access.

King was in agony as Ram had slowly taken off his pants and briefs and then opened his legs. He watched as Ram lowered his head and stuck his pink tongue out to lick his balls. King moaned as Ram made a conscious effort to lick the entire surface of King’s balls before licking up King’s shaft. Ram licked up and down King’s shaft before licking the head of King’s cock and lapping up King’s pre-cum. Ram didn’t mind the taste of it and was enjoying making King squirm and make delicious noises.

King wasn’t sure if he could take this any longer. His cock was so hard and Ram’s tongue felt so good.

Ram finally stopped and sat back and wiped his mouth. At that moment, Ram realized that he liked the taste of King. Ram looked at King.

“How was it?”, Ram asked. King looked at Ram like he was asking a dumb question.

“Really good, Cool Boy!", King admitted as he laid his head down. King’s head was not hurting anymore, but he sure had a problem with his other head. King sat up and grabbed the dice.

King rolled a 3 on the red die and a 6 on the blue die: **STROKE PRIVATES**

King’s eyes widened briefly before looking at Ram, who was observing King quietly.

“You don’t have to do it. You can roll again,” Ram said reassuringly. He only wanted King to do what was comfortable.

“No, I want to do it. I want to take care of you, “King admitted as he moved down between Ram’s legs. King looked up at Ram, who nodded that it was okay. King pulled his pants off first, folded them, and put them to the side as Ram had done with his pants.

“Hold on!”, Ram said as King had his hands on the elastic of Ram’s blue and white striped boxer briefs. King looked questioningly at Ram. Ram stared at King’s naked body as King bent over and scooted in between Ram’s legs.

“P’King, do you still have a headache?”, Ram asked.

“What headache?”, King said honestly. His headache hasn’t been an issue since they started touching each other and making out. King suddenly remembered he needed something.

“Cool Boy, where’s your lube?”, King asked.

“It’s in the inside pocket of my bag,” Ram said. King got up unzipped Ram’s bag and found the lube. He bent down again in between Ram’s legs. He then grabbed the top of Ram’s boxer briefs and pulled them down. He stared at Ram’s cock and then uncapped the tube of lube and squeezed some lube into his hand. He closed the lube and brought his hand around Ram’s shaft.

Ram unintentionally moaned as King started stroking Ram's cock up and down. King would occasionally run his thumb across Ram’s head, smearing precum in the process.

“Do you like it? Is this okay?”, King asked Ram as he continued to stroke Ram, squeezing and changing the angle for variety. Ram nodded vigorously. He was liking King down there a lot. He watched as King was so focused on his cock. What was his undoing was when King got further in between his legs and started kissing his thighs as he stroked.

“I’m going to…,” Ram started to say as he released cum on his abs and chest. King stroked him gently to help milk him completely. As soon as Ram was spent, King grabbed some wipes from Ram’s bag and started wiping down his chest and stomach. Ram laid their content and felt pretty good.

King, curious, used his index finger to swipe some of Ram’s cum and taste it. Ram saw him and thought it was the hottest thing he had ever seen. He sat up and brought King to him in a fiery kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance before Ram laid King down and grabbed the dice.

“Aren’t you tired?”, King asked.

“Let me have one more round and then we can go to sleep, okay?”, Ram said as he stared into King’s eyes. King took care of Ram and Ram wanted to do the same.

Ram didn’t bother to roll the dice. He put down the red dice so 2 was showing and the blue dice so 6 was showing: **SUCK PRIVATES**

As soon as King noticed what he put down, King looked at Ram.

“You don’t have to do that!”, King said.

“I enjoyed licking you, I want to taste you more. Plus it’s my turn to return the favor,” Ram said. King watched as Ram moved down his body and back in between his legs. Ram started kissing and nibbling the lower part of King's thighs and slowly progressed upward towards King’s inner thighs. Ram sucked one of King’s balls in his mouth and heard King make some beautiful noises, so he sucked the other one. Ram slowly licked from King’s balls up his long shaft. He licked around King’s shaft before licking the tip of his cock. Ram then sucked the head before he wrapped his lips completely around King’s cock.

“Ooooooooh,” King moaned as Ram’s head started to bob up and down on King’s cock. Ram then grabbed the base of King’s cock and stroked him in time with the up and down motion of his mouth. King, overwhelmed by Ram’s sucking, grabbed Ram’s shoulder with his hand. While sucking, Ram removed his hand and moved King’s hand to the top of his head, where King started running his fingers through Ram’s dark locks, occasionally pulling on them when Ram was being particularly thorough with his licking and sucking. Ram continued to explore different ways of treating King’s cock. Ram wasn’t sure what King liked so he wanted to try different things to see what made King respond.

While Ram was sucking and rolling his tongue around King’s cock, his one hand was swiveling and corkscrewing around King’s shaft in a rhythm. He allowed his other hand to roam around the rest of King’s body. His other hand stroked King’s inner thighs before roaming up his torso to graze King’s nipples.

King was flooded with numerous sensations and almost couldn’t take it anymore. King looked down at Ram who looked sexy naked with his cock in Ram’s mouth. Ram looked up into King’s eyes and hollowed his cheeks to suck King’s cock like a lollipop. King laid his head back and imprinted the scene into his memory to daydream about later.

Ram, making sure King was okay, came up for air, and started jacking King off.

“Are you okay? Should I stop?”, Ram asked, concerned he was doing something wrong.

“Don’t stop! Faster”, King demanded as he grabbed Ram's hair. Ram liked this commanding King.

Ram listened to King and continued to suck on King’s cock and stroked his shaft enthusiastically between sucking. Ram continued to read what King liked as he sucked and stroked based on King's responsiveness. After some time, Ram noticed that King’s abs were starting to flex rhythmically.

King yelled out, “Cool Boy, I’m going to cum!” to give Ram time to stop sucking, but to his surprise, Ram continues to suck him thoroughly. Ram, committed to following through with what he started, decided he would try to swallow for the first time. King, who was way over the edge, saw fireworks behind his eyes as he cummed into Ram’s willing mouth. Ram tried to swallow as much as he could, but some of King’s cum dribbled down his chin. It tasted salty and a little bitter, but it wasn’t terrible. King concerned about Ram spoke up.

“Cool Boy! Why did you do that? You didn’t have to do that,” King said as he quickly got some wipes to wipe off of Ram’s face and then himself.

“Was it okay?”, Ram asked. King looked at Ram like he was asking a dumb question.

“Of course. More than okay. Thank you”, King said as he leaned in to kiss Ram, tasting himself in the process.

“We need to play this dice game again, “Ram said adamantly.

“Glad you liked it, “King whispered and then yawned.

“Let’s go to sleep, P’, "Ram suggested. King nodded. Although Ram would have loved to sleep naked in the sleeping bag with King, he was worried about King getting sick. He helped King put his clothes on before putting on his own. Ram laid back down on the sleeping bag and gestured for King to come to him. King got on his knees and grabbed Ram’s face for one last kiss before rubbing his nose on Ram’s. Ram repeated the gesture by slowly kissing King’s lips before rubbing his nose against King’s. King looked into Ram’s eyes, happy and content, and smiled. Ram smiled back. They both leaned in to rub their noses together. Then, Ram pulled King into his arms. King laid his head on Ram’s shoulder.

“Goodnight, my Cool Boy, “King said again.

“Goodnight, my King, “Ram replied with a kiss to King’s forehead. Ram and King closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep easily, at peace in each other’s arms yet again.  
******************  
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE

King grabbed his phone and stopped his alarm quickly before Ram woke up. He looked at Ram to make sure he was still asleep before slowly moving out of his embrace. When he was free, King wrapped the sleeping bag around Ram.

King grabbed the picnic basket before he quietly snuck out the tent. He moved the mat closer to the edge of the lake and put the picnic basket next to it. He kneeled on the mat to look through the picnic basket. There was some fruit, sandwiches, and steam buns to eat and a variety of juices and water. He reorganized it so he and Ram can easily grab drinks and food when they get hungry. He looked at his watch. It was almost 6 am. King looked around to make sure all was set up before heading back into the tent.

King kneeled next to Ram and surveyed his features. Ram’s face was relaxed as his eyelashes sat on his cheeks. His mouth twitched at times into a small smile like he was having a really good dream. King would let him sleep, but it was important for King to wake him up now. King reached out to Ram and shook his shoulder.

“Cool Boy! You have to wake up!”, King said. Ram kept his eyes closed, shook his head, and grunted.

“Mmmm. Sleepy…,” Ram said as he burrowed into the sleeping bag. King thought Ram was so adorable. He decided another approach may be more useful. King nibbled and kissed along Ram’s neck, up his jaw until he reached Ram’s lips. Ram responded by pulling King closer to him. King attempted to wake up Ram in between kisses.

“Cool..(kiss)...Boy!....(kiss). Wake…(kiss)...up…! (kiss)”, King said. Ram looked at King with one eye open and the other squinting at him. King, realizing he had gotten Ram’s attention, pulled on Ram’s arm to get him up.

“Get up! We’re going to miss it!”, King said as he continued to pull Ram up with the sleeping bag. He pushed Ram out of the tent and followed behind him. He grabbed Ram’s arm and pulled him to the mat to sit down. He sat down beside Ram to snuggle into him and put the sleeping bag around both of their shoulders. Ram looked at King, still disoriented from sleep.

“What are we going to miss?”, Ram asked. King looked at Ram with a smirk and pointed across the lake.

“That!”, King said excitedly.

Ram looked across the lake and realized that King had brought him out to watch the sunrise together. Ram looked at King who had been watching Ram figure out what he had planned for him.

Ram and King both leaned in to kiss each other on the lips. Ram looked out across the lake as he noticed the sun start to peek over the horizon. King leaned his head onto Ram’s shoulder as they both watched the sun expand and fill the lake with its golden rays. Ram was amazed at the rich colors of yellow, orange, and bronze of the morning twilight. The morning was hazy, but it enhanced the colors across the lake’s surface.

“Do you mind if we take a few pictures?”, King asked. King didn’t wait for an answer. He grabbed Ram’s left hand to form it kind of like a C and brought his hand up to do the same so they could fit the sun into their heart-shaped hands. King took the picture and showed it to Ram.

“It’s our love capturing the sunrise,” King whispered. Ram looked at King, touched by the comment, and then leaned in to rub his nose to King’s nose. Ram and King stared at each other’s eyes and couldn’t look away.

“You know, the dawn suggests the beginning of a new day and a chance for happiness and improvement. The sunrise represents awakening, possibilities, and feeling that all will be well. I know our relationship has been developing over time, and that we just became official, but this past week has awakened so many feelings that I have for you. I want to make a sunrise promise to you that I’ll work hard to make this relationship work and will do everything in my power to make you happy”, King promised as he rubbed his nose against Ram’s lovingly.

“I feel the same way. I want to make a sunrise promise to you that I will work hard to make this relationship work, will do everything in my power to make you happy, and...", Ram said as he pecked King's nose before looking into King's eyes.

"...do my best to take care of you”, Ram continued as he nuzzled his nose against King’s before touching his forehead to King’s forehead. King and Ram shut their eyes, absorbing the tender emotions they were experiencing for each other. The sun's rays started to spread across the sky onto them as if sealing and affirming their promises to each other. After a few seconds, they both leaned back to look at each other before giving each other a warm hug.

“Let me take one more picture!”, King proclaimed. He nudged Ram to turn around so the sunrise was behind them. Ram had his arm around King’s shoulders and King put his arm around Ram’s torso. The sunrise was behind them bouncing its golden rays across the green of the trees and the blue of the lake. King and Ram were all smiles as King took the picture with the sunrise as their background. King sent the heart hands and the picture of them with the sunrise to Ram’s friends to complete the test.

King and Ram turned around and got back under the sleeping bag. They continued to watch the sunrise as King brought the picnic basket in front of them. King and Ram took turns feeding each other as they ate their breakfast and talked. They appreciated their first sunrise together, their sunrise promises awakening the possibility of many more endearing moments as a couple in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed Test 2! Onto Test 3!
> 
> Would appreciate hearing what you thought about Test 2! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!! Have a wonderful weekend!


	29. Test 3: Want You To Be Near Me-Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram finished their breakfast and headed back to camp to make it back for the morning nature hike. King is informed about what he has to do for Test 3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi All! Sorry about the delay. I had a hard time writing this one. This was long just like the last test, so I broke it up into 2 chapters.
> 
> Credit is given to Episode 14 for the scenes included in this chapter.
> 
> Again, sorry if there were any errors or mistakes. I am at a point where I am kind of done with writing Test 3 because I just wanted to get it out to you all.
> 
> Happy Reading! Here is part 1!

King and Ram finished their breakfast as the sun rose into the sky. They talked about the plans for the day while packing up their stuff. King packed up the picnic basket, rolled up the mat, and took their stuff out of their tent. Ram shook out the dirt from inside of it and was working on taking the poles off and folding it up.

When they were done, King made sure that the campfire was filled with dirt and took one last look at the lake and the sun. King was pleased that his date with Ram had turned out well. They had an amazing night talking, laughing, being intimate, and becoming closer. As he was looking at the water, a pair of arms wrapped around his torso and he felt a chin lay on his shoulder. He turned to look at his handsome boyfriend’s face.

“Ready?”, Ram asked. Ram had finished up putting everything together and had noticed that King was standing in front of the lake. He couldn’t have asked for a better person to spend a date with. King knew exactly how to take care of him and he appreciated that. King turned in Ram’s arms to look at his face. He put his hands around Ram’s neck and started playing with Ram’s hair.

“I kind of wish our date didn’t have to end”, King said pouting. He enjoyed spending quality time with Ram. Ram, thinking that King’s pout was the cutest thing in the world, kissed King’s pouty lips.

“Me too,” Ram said as he pulled away from King. Ram felt the same way about not wanting their date to end. He honestly could spend all day every day with King and he would be content with life.

“We are going to have plenty of dates to spend time together,” Ram pointed out as he rubbed up and down King’s arms.

“I know. We have a movie date, a romantic dinner, a weekend at a beach house, a coffee shop date, a photo studio date, and the botanical gardens. We’ll also end up spending a lot of time together at the Blood Drive and the Fashion Show”, King summarized. King was looking forward to all of the dates.

“Don’t forget our Sunday date, too!”, Ram reminded King. Ram hoped that King would enjoy what he had planned for them.

“Looking forward to it,” King said as he smiled and pulled Ram into a hug. Ram hugged him back. Becoming closer to Ram was both a blessing and a curse. Before they were dating, King would often think about Ram. They had been slowly doing more together as time went on. King felt like Ram was a magnet. Ram had a force that kept pulling King towards him.

Because they had spent so much time together lately, King was aware that he enjoyed being around Ram way more than he did before. King knew he would have plenty of chances to spend time with Ram in the future. King was so happy being with Ram right now, he did not feel like doing anything else. They have also grown closer and have come to depend on each other for support. King can imagine it being more difficult to be separated from each other in the future. Although he loved spending time with his grandmother, he was going to miss Ram. Ram noticed that King was thinking about something.

Ram couldn’t get enough of King either. With everything going on with his family, King was able to keep his mood up, make him express himself, and encourage him to do things instead of worrying about things and wallowing in self-pity. Ram has come to rely on King’s support and was thankful for it. He did not know how he could have gotten through discovering his dad and Pin’s affair without King.

“Do you want to do something special to end our first official date together?”, Ram asked to try to help King feel better about leaving.

“Like what?”, King asked, curious about what they could do.

“Maybe we can find something around the lake that we can take back with us and put it in a scrapbook or something when we get home. It can be our way of memorializing our time together”, Ram suggested.

Ram’s mom had a scrapbook with mementos from the dates that she had with Ram’s dad. He used to look through it and make fun of his mom for being so sentimental. Thinking about it now, it was a rather sweet thing to do as a couple. It makes him sad to think about their relationship now.

King noticed Ram’s sudden sadness and grabbed his hand. Ram got quiet and had a far off look on his face. King knew that Ram was thinking about his parents. After observing Ram for the past week, King had figured out when Ram was upset or sad because of his family situation. He brought Ram’s hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. Ram looked up at him and King gave him a tender smile. Ram was appreciative of the gesture and was glad that King was guiding him around to find something they could use as a memento.

They walked around their area but didn’t see anything too appealing. They walked to the water's edge and noticed that the lake had some rocks under the water. Something caught King’s eye in the water. He bent over to pick it up. He brought it up to eye level to look at it and then showed it to Ram.

“What if we dry this heart-shaped rock and write some words on it associated with our time here? We can then write the location and the date on it also. Instead of a scrapbook, we can put the rock in a jar or something. Then, we can do it for other dates we have,” King suggested. King thought it would be something special for them to look back on.

“Then on our anniversaries, we can look at them and reminisce about them,” King added. Ram smirked at King.

“You seem pretty confident that we are going to have anniversaries in the future,” Ram teased. Ram liked the idea of looking at the rocks on their future anniversaries.

King spluttered, “Um, uh…” Ram wrapped his arms around King’s waist.

“I like your idea about looking at them and reminiscing about them on future anniversaries. I’d like that a lot”, Ram said. Ram rubbed his nose against King’s. King slowly rubbed Ram’s nose back.

“I have a permanent marker in my bag,” Ram said. He went to get it and gave it to King.

King wrote on one side:

**Banana Boats**  
**and**  
**Dice**

He then flipped the rock over and wrote the lake location and the date. He showed it to Ram, who smiled and nodded in satisfaction. King put it in the front pocket of his bag for safekeeping.

Ram and King gave each other one last kiss in front of the lake, enveloped by the sun’s rays before they picked up their bags, picnic basket, and camping gear and headed back to camp.

***********************

After Ram and King returned the picnic basket and camping gear, and put their bags back in their tent, they both received a text message from Ram’s friends to meet them at the dining area once they are done with their morning ablutions.

They walked side by side chatting and noticed that everyone from last night was there hanging out, except Nott and Pun, who decided to sleep in. King noticed Duen and Bohn having a heated discussion. He looked at Ram. Ram looked at his best friend and wasn’t sure what was going on.

“Oh, the two lovebirds are back! How was the date?”, Boss asked. Before they could say anything, Tang spoke up.

“P’Boss, did you see the pictures from last night? P’King passed his test with flying colors,” Tang stated. Tang brought out his phone and excitedly showed the picture of King and Ram with the banana boats and wine and the sunrise picture. 

“I wish I had a boyfriend who would do something romantic for me,” Ting Ting said sadly.

“Maybe if you were nicer, someone would do that for you,” Tang said. Ting Ting glared indignantly.

“I am nice,” Ting Ting said. “When you want to be…”, Tang mumbled to himself.

The rest of the friends had looked at and commented about King and Ram’s beautiful pictures before they watched Ting Ting and Tang bicker.

Tee tried to change the subject back to King and Ram.

“Great job, King. It was a pretty romantic idea to wake up for the sunrise. I got to take some lessons from my friend,” Tee said. Mek, Boss, Bohn, and the rest of the group all nodded and muttered in agreement. Ting Ting cleared her throat. King, Ram, and the rest of the group turned to look at her.

“Well, P’King has passed two out of four tests to be able to receive our approval to date Ram...,” Ting Ting stated as Ram rolled his eyes. She gave Ram a look and continued, “... so we wanted to give you the next test before we head out on our hike,” Ting Ting saw Bohn and Duen still whispering to each other so she called out, “Duen?”

Bohn seemed to be disagreeing and pleading with Duen. Duen was not having it and said one final thing to Bohn and Bohn responded displeased with a pout and his arms crossed.

Duen went in front of Ram and King. Everyone waited for Duen to speak. He took a deep breath and looked at the pair.

“P’King, your third test is that you have to stay at least 4 feet away from Ram at all times without any type of communication verbally, in writing, or over the phone via text or video...,” Duen informed the pair in front of their friends.

“That doesn’t seem too bad,” disclosed King.

“...for 6 hours,” Duen finished.

Exclamations were expressed by their friends for the length of the test along with Ram who cried out, “Duen!”

Ram was upset because the test seemed a bit much. Six hours is a long time to not communicate or interact with King at all. Ram and King were used to not seeing each other all the time because of classes and stuff, but they regularly texted each other to make plans with each other. Since Saturday and getting together, Ram spent most of his waking and sleeping hours spending time or interacting with King in some way.

The test meant that Ram and King could not interact on the hike they were going on this morning or take any Couple pictures when they got to their destination. It meant that they could not hang out and do fun things with their friends like they were planning to. It meant that they would not be able to sit next to each other at lunch. Ram was unhappy and it showed by the scowl on his face. Ram was about to go to Duen when Bohn spoke up.

“Duen, like I told you earlier, I don’t think you have to go to this extreme for the whole boxing thing,” Bohn said.

Ram stopped and sighed. Duen was doing this because of the boxing test. Duen was against that test completely. Duen had expressed his upset and anger at Ram and the rest of the friends before they all went their separate ways after the fight when Duen went to tend to Bohn and Ram got taken care of by King.

When they had the chance to talk about what happened, Duen had expressed upset about Ram fighting Bohn considering his experience as a boxer. Duen was afraid that Ram could have hurt Bohn. Ram had explained that he had given Bohn credit for accepting his challenge and being willing to fight without knowing what Ram was capable of. It appeared that Bohn was serious about Duen, but Ram stated that he still felt he had to fight him because he was overprotective of Duen. He didn’t want Duen to get hurt by a player. Duen was adamant that it was not fair to put him in a position to have to choose between his best friend and boyfriend. Duen had expressed to the rest of his friends how messed up it was to tie him up to a tree in the heat. Ram admitted that they kind of went overboard.

King looked at his best friend and between Ram and Duen. He appreciated Bohn wanting to help, but he understood what was going on here.

“Cool Boy. It’s okay. We can handle being apart for 6 hours, don’t you think?”, King said. Ram looked at King with a pout on his face.

***************

After they agreed to go along with it, King and Ram both gave each other a hug and Duen put the timer on.

Ram sadly watched King walk over to his friends. Bohn shook his head in disagreement with the situation.

“What?”, King asked.

“Do you know how hard it is to not be with your boyfriend after you had such an amazing night with him? On top of that, won’t it be hard to be in a place full of trees, flowers, and nature, which you love? You’re not going to be able to share anything with Ram for 6 hours,” Bohn pointed out.

King thought about it. Bohn was right. He would want to take pictures and do things with Ram but they will have lots of opportunities in the future to take pictures and do things together. King was trying to stay positive.

“I already agreed with your boyfriend’s test. It’s okay. I don’t want Ram to have a conflict with his best friend”, King stated. King also did not want to be on bad terms with Duen. King always kept his word and he planned to stick to it.

“I tried to talk him out of it but he was adamant,” Bohn said to his best friend. King nodded.

“Thanks for trying. It’s okay. Ram and I will be fine,” King said confidently.

************

Tee stood near the entrance of the meeting area, which was the designated area to meet for their hike.

“Okay, everyone, thank you for being here this morning for our nature hike to the lake. Supposedly, there is a scenic view of the mountains there where you can take some beautiful pictures. Is everybody ready to go?”, Tee announced as he looked around.

“Let’s go!”, Tee declared. Tee and the forest guide led the group out of the camping area towards one of the hiking trails. King’s friends and Duen led the pack, as Ram and his friends followed. King looked back and made eye contact with Ram and gave him a small smile to reassure Ram. Ram smiled back and nodded.

************

Ram was unhappy with the situation, but King seemed to feel like they would be okay, so he felt like they would be okay, too. Ram knew why Duen decided to put them through the test. Duen knew it wouldn’t be too difficult to be apart from each other, but Ram and King had gone through a lot in the last twenty fours. They had Aranya’s harassment, the fight, the search for Duen, and the tests. They had come to look out for each other and felt better when they were together.

It wasn’t that Ram couldn’t handle being away from King. Ram and King were both very independent people. They were both more than capable of occupying themselves away from each other. The concern was that Ram had the upcoming dinner with his family and Pin and King would be visiting his grandmother tomorrow. They were not going to be able to see each other until Sunday, so they wanted to spend as much time with each other as possible before King left. The test kind of put a damper in his plans.

Ram’s saving grace was his friends. Ting Ting, Tang, and Phu seemed to be making extra efforts to spend time with him and keep him distracted from being apart from King. Ram was a bit irritated that Duen was spending all his time with Bohn though. After Duen got lost, he understood why, but it almost felt like he was throwing it in his face with how they were attached at the hip since they were reunited. Ram expects that he will feel the same way once he and King are reunited.

Ram looked at his watch and sighed. 5 hours, 9 minutes, and 43 seconds until he can be close to his King again.

*****************

King was relieved that he loved nature and had his friends with him to help distract him from being apart from Ram. Tee updated King on the latest gossip and things going on around camp. King took the opportunity to thank his friends for their rewards from the test last night and they all again expressed their support of him and Ram’s relationship.

King would occasionally stop on the side of the road to look at some of the plants before catching up with his friends. On one particular occasion where he was bent over taking a picture of some red flowers, one of Ram's friends came up to him.

“P’King?”, Ting Ting asked. King stood up and faced Ting Ting. He looked around and found that Tang had pulled Ram away from her and King.

“Hey Nong Ting Ting! What’s up?”, King asked. He was wondering why Ting Ting had come up to him because they don’t usually talk outside of their groups.

“Can I talk to you about something?”, Ting Ting asked.

“Of course!”, King responded and gestured for TIng TIng to join him as they hiked.

“P’King, I want to apologize for the test. When we had put P’Bohn through them, our plan was for him to prove that he would make the effort to be with Duen. We had questioned his sincerity and wanted to determine if he was serious about their relationship,” Ting Ting explained. She paused as they walked with off to the side of the group.

“Isn’t that the plan for my tests, too?”, King asked.

“Not really. We are confident you are sincere and are serious about Ram,” Ting Ting admitted. King waited for Ting Ting to continue.

“Ram told us what happened with his dad and Pin”, Ting Ting informed King. King nodded solemnly.

“Our plan for your tests was to do things to cheer him up and make him happy. We knew he had been struggling. Duen decided to do something completely different, although he says that you both will be happy as soon as it is done,” Ting Ting said.

“Nong, it’s okay. I think Cool Boy and I understand why Duen made his test the way he did. It’s not like Ram and I are suffering right now. We can manage for a few hours,” King shared.

“We know you both can manage, but we wanted to cheer him up and he seems the happiest when he is around you,” Ting Ting said. King smiled at that remark.

“Anyway, P’King, the other reason I’m here is to give you your instructions for your last test because we wanted to pull another sweet surprise for Ram. I also wanted to give you enough time to prepare,” Ting Ting said.

“What is it?”, King asked.

“Your test is to make Ram smile tonight by doing something special for him during the talent show, “Ting Ting instructed happily.

King immediately responded with, “Done.”

“Huh?”, Ting Ting asked.

“I had already planned to do something special for Ram at the talent show,” King enlightened Ting Ting smugly.

**********************

The group of volunteers continued to trek up the incline of the trail. The tour guide was saying that they would be there soon. At the front were Bohn and Duen. King and Tee were behind them chatting when King noticed that Duen tripped and grabbed Bohn’s shoulders. Bohn caught him.

“Be careful,” Bohn told Duen.

Duen responded with a smile, “I know.” King watched them grin at each other, arm in arm.

King looked behind him and glanced longingly at Ram who was walking with Phu. They made brief eye contact before he turned back around and walked quietly with Tee. He missed his Cool Boy.

*************************

After making eye contact with King, Ram noticed how P’Thara had made sure P’Frong was okay and offered him a water bottle. He also noticed how Ting Ting and Tang were hanging off each other, smiling and taking pictures. He then heard Mek and Boss.

“Go! We will be the first to arrive!”, yelled Boss, who rushed past Ram, on the back of Mek.

Usually, he would be indifferent about the situation since he wasn’t in a relationship. Now that he is in one, Ram would rather be with his boyfriend than be away from him. Ram was seriously missing his King as he watched the other couples enjoy their time with each other.

**********************

The group finally arrived at the lake. It was a beautiful scene. They had picked a great day to go on a hike. The sky was clear. There were hardly any clouds and all one could see was blue in the sky. The view of the mountains from the side of the lake showed them covered in green foliage with hints of brown.

The group was spread out across the side of the lake taking pictures. Bohn was squatting on a cement bollard sticking out of the ground as Duen stood next to him and took Couple pictures. Tee and King were taking pictures of Mek and Boss behind them and had taken some selfies themselves. Ram and the rest of his friends were taking group pictures in different poses on their right while Thara and Frong were taking individual pictures on their left side.

“Everyone! Let’s have a group photo! Come here! Group Photo!”, Tee suddenly declared, encouraging the group to get closer to take a picture. King was already standing on Tee’s left side.

“Come! Come! Quick! Over here! Bohn, come quick!”, Tee commanded. Bohn had Duen stood next to him as Bohn stood on Tee’s right. Mek and Boss stood on Tee’s left. Mek had his arm around Boss, Boss had his arm around King, and King had his arm around Tee. The five friends stood happily together for the picture.

“Tang, Ting Ting, Ram! Quick!”, Tee stated. Ram and his friends rushed to get into place as the other volunteers got in place to take a group picture. Ting Ting sat on one of the cement bollards with Tang and Phu squatting next to her on her left. Ram squatted down near her on her right in front of Thara and Frong, who stood behind him.

“Here we are! Chin, take a picture, please! Make us all handsome, okay?”, Tee directed.

“Come in here!”, Thara told Frong so they could squeeze closer for the picture.

“Everyone squeeze in!”, Tee yelled. King leaned his left arm onto Phu as he was squeezed into the picture on both sides.

“Here,” Thara said as he grabbed Frong’s wrist to bring him closer to make room for the other volunteers to fit into the picture.

“Ready? 1, 2, 3!”, Tee counted out for the picture. Everyone smiled and cheered for the picture.

“One more! Okay, another one!”, Tee suggested.

Ram turned from the camera to look up at Tee and noticed King.

“Ready! 1, 2, 3!”, Tee counted again for the picture. Ram stared at King and observed a smile spread across King’s face as he cheered with the group.

King felt like someone was watching him and turned his head. He made eye contact with Ram.

“One more time! 1, 2, 3!”, Tee counted again for the group. King and Ram stared at each other as the people around them smiled and cheered. The feeling of sadness was felt between them as they looked into each other’s eyes. They missed each other. The group dispersed after the photo was taken.

“We will be leaving shortly, so take any last-minute photos and we will be heading out back to camp!”, Tee informed the group.

Although the group broke apart, Ram continued to look at King as he stood up. They faced each other, a little more than four feet apart, with the lake and mountains as their background. Ting Ting noticed them. King and Ram heard a click and turned to Ting Ting, who had taken a picture of both of them.

King turned to look at Ram and smiled. King and Ram were both a bit bummed that they could not get a picture together, but Ting Ting kind of solved that problem for them.

“Smile!”, Ting Ting instructed. Ram stood with his hands in his pocket and King stood relaxed more than 4 feet away from him. King and Ram faced her with smiles on their faces. They both were happy they got a picture together at the lake.

Ram nodded to King before joining Ting Ting and their friends. Ram thanked Ting Ting for taking a picture of them together. Ting Ting sent the pictures to King.

King got a notification on his phone and received the picture. He stared at the picture of him and Ram with the lake, mountains, and blue sky behind them. The green of the trees, contrasting with the blue of the lake and the sky, really was beautiful. He was glad that Ting Ting came through and got a picture of them.

“Alright, everyone! Time to head out! Let’s get going!”, Tee announced. King looked at his watch. He had 3 hours, 48 minutes, and 51 seconds until he would be back with his Cool Boy.

******************

Walking back to camp was uneventful. Ram hung out with his friends while King hung out with his. Ram was distracted because he was trying to figure out what the heck was going on between Ting Ting and Tang. They were sharing all these stories of things they had done together by themselves that they were proving to Ram that something was going on between them. Ram looked at Phu and Phu rolled his eyes.

***********************

King, on the other hand, was watching Bohn and Duen be affectionate. He tried to ignore them and hang out with Tee, Mek, and Boss. Tee was talking about the report he had to write about the volunteer camp. Tee asked King to help him run numbers and create graphs for the report when they got back from camp. Tee was occupying King so much about the report that King hadn’t realized that they were close to camp.

************************

When the group got back to the campsite, Tee announced that lunch was available so the majority of the hikers headed to the dining area, Ram, King, and their friends included. Because Bohn and Duen wanted to sit together, their friends also did, making it that Ram showed up at the same place that King was at for lunch.

Duen looked up from his meal and eyed both of them. Bohn stopped talking. Ram and King stared at each other longingly with their lunch, wanting to sit next to each other, but knew they couldn’t. King broke Ram’s trance to stop and sit on the other side of Mek and Boss while Ram sat on the other side of Ting Ting and Tang. They ate their food silently and listened to their friends talk about the hike as well as plans for the afternoon.

King had finished his lunch when he overheard Ting Ting asking if the rest of the group wanted to go swimming at one of the waterfalls after lunch. Duen got excited and asked Bohn if he wanted to go, too. Bohn then asked the rest of the seniors to go, who all agreed excitedly.

“Great! The one time I want to swim, I can’t because of my stitches. It’s going to be a long day,” King thought to himself sadly. Ram watched King silently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ready for more of Test 3? Chapter 30-Part 2 is already posted for your enjoyment!


	30. Test 3: Want You To Be Near Me-Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King continues to complete Test 3 as the friends decide to go swimming at the waterfall. King and Ram were doing well until something unexpected happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was posted at the same time as Chapter 29, so if you haven't read the first part of Test 3, you might want to read that chapter before this one.
> 
> Again, sorry if there were any errors or mistakes. 
> 
> Here's part 2 of Test 3. Hope you like the rest of the test!
> 
> Happy Reading!

After lunch, the friends went to their tents to get changed into their swimming gear. King decided to hang at Tee’s tent to allow Ram to go get changed since he could swim.

Ram went to the tent quickly to get changed because he knew King would need to change, too, even if he wasn’t going to swim. Ram knew that King would not be able to swim, but he also knew that King wouldn’t resist getting in the water anyway, even if it was sitting on a rock with his feet in the water. Ram will be watching him like a hawk to make sure he doesn’t get hurt.

Ram put on his swimming shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, unbuttoned and exposing his chest. He took stuff out of his bag and repacked a towel, his sunglasses, some sunscreen, and other stuff he may need, and walked out of the tent.

He walked over to Duen and Bohn’s tent and met his friends. Tang and Phu were comparing their swimming trunks. Ting Ting was wearing a hat on her head while she was helping Bohn and Duen pack up some of his stuff in a bag while they changed. Her hair was getting in the way so she took off the cabana hat she was wearing and put it on Ram because she didn’t want to put it on the ground. She put her hair in a ponytail.

“Wow! You look better in my hat than I do!”, Ting Ting said. Ram shrugged. Duen and Bohn stepped out of their tent in matching trunks and shirts. Ram shook his head but secretly wanted to do the same with King one day. The group got all their stuff they were bringing with them and headed out towards the waterfall. Ram passed King and his friends while on their way. He missed being close to King and hearing his voice, which he has not heard for hours. He looked at his watch. He had 1 hour, 39 minutes, and 24 seconds until he could be back by King’s side.

*********************

While his friends were getting changed and packing up their stuff, King sat cross-legged outside Tee’s tent for some people watching. There were a few people just hanging out in groups near their tents. Others were walking off to do things. Others looked like they had the same idea about finding a place to go swimming. King then noticed a group of his nongs starting to walk by.

King's eyes caught a handsome guy in a taupe Hawaiian shirt and a cabana hat on. The shirt was unbuttoned, showing his well-defined chest. King had never seen Ram with a hat on and he liked it. He was checking out his boyfriend when Ram turned his head and noticed King staring at him. He smirked sexily at King and winked at him. King, realizing he was caught staring, started to feel himself feeling hot and stood up quickly.

“Tee, I’m going to go change. Be right back!”, King informed his friend. King quickly got up and glanced at Ram before he rushed away from Tee’s tent to his own. Ram watched amusedly as King ran away.

*********************

King got to his tent and quickly changed his clothes. He put on his swimming trunks and a white swimming jacket. He dumped out and repacked his bag and put his towel and other stuff into it and then headed back to Tee’s tent. By the time he got there, Mek and Boss had shown up. They all walked over towards the waterfall that Ting Ting had informed them about.

*********************

They had just got to the waterfall and Ram was in awe of the place. Ram was surprised that there weren’t more people there. There were 2 other groups there, including a group of girls swimming and laughing.

Ram and his friends found a spot on some rocks under a shady tree with a beautiful view of the waterfall. The good thing about this place was there was a lot of room to spread out. He was hoping King and the rest of his friends would be able to be nearby so Ram could keep an eye on King.

Tang, Ting Ting, and Phu quickly dumped their stuff and got into the water. Bohn and Duen were bickering about taking their shirts off but finally agreed to take them off.

“Come in, Ram! The water is great!”, Phu yelled to him. The yelling got the attention of the girls and they seemed to be starting to swim closer to their side of the rocks.

Because of Ram’s light skin color, he was prone to getting sunburned. He had to often apply and reapply sunscreen to keep himself from turning red, peeling, and being in pain the next day.

“I’ll be right there. I’m going to put some sunblock on!“, Ram yelled back. Ram grabbed his sunblock and took off his shirt. He sat on one of the rocks in the shade and started applying sunblock on his legs and then his arms. He suddenly sensed something off, like it got quiet. He looked around and realized that the girls were ogling him while he was putting his sunblock on. He then heard someone clear their throat.

Ram looked up to find someone looking at him from a rock that was more than 4 feet away.

*********************

King had been walking with Tee, Mek, and Boss over to the waterfall that Ting Ting had mentioned. They bumped into Frong and Thara along the way and they decided to join them.

King was pretty impressed with how the plants and trees surrounded the waterfall with beauty as well as purpose. King was upset that he wouldn’t be able to go into the water though. He didn’t want to risk walking in the shallow end again because that had not kept him from getting hurt their first day. He also knew Ram would be mad if he got hurt again, so he was going to sit out, stick his feet in the water, and read his book, _The Secret Teachings of Plants: The Intelligence of the Heart in the Direct Perception of Nature_.

He was going around some trees to find a spot to sit when he noticed Ram sitting on a rock with his shirt off. He watched as his boyfriend rubbed sunblock over his calves and muscular thighs and then along his strong arms. Ram looked good with his shirt on, but King thought he looked a lot better with his shirt off. He then noticed a group of girls staring at Ram. He watched as Ram noticed the girls looking at him so King decided to divert his attention by clearing his throat.

When Ram had looked up to find King, Ram was enamored. He thought his senior looked so handsome in his swimming trunks and open swimming jacket. Ram smiled adoringly at the senior. He then slowly started reapplying sunblock to his chest, abs, and face.

King watched Ram and scrunched his face. He wished that his hands were applying the sunblock on Ram’s toned body. He imagined his hands rubbing the sunblock into Ram’s warm skin, along his neck, across his shoulders, down his hard chest, skimming past his nipples, fingers spreading across his abs, and getting closer to the top of his swimming trunks. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a female voice.

“Hi, Nong! Do you need some help applying the sunblock on your back?”, a girl had asked. She happened to be in the water with a bunch of her giggling friends. They were a few feet away from where Ram was sitting. King swiftly turned his head and stared at her in shock. The nerve of those girls!

Luckily, Ting Ting and Tang noticed the situation. Tang nodded at Ting Ting for encouragement and she turned to the girls.

“Sorry girls! My friend here is taken! You may want to go elsewhere before someone gets upset,” Ting Ting suggested.

“I don’t see any other girls here but you, so what his girlfriend does not know, won’t hurt her,” the girl said.

“Girls, thank you for your concern, but his boyfriend is here,” King informed them with a saccharine smile as he pointed to himself. The girls were taken aback by the news.

“Sorry, P’King”, said another girl in the group as they abruptly swam off. King turned to Ting Ting.

“Nong, can you please help Ram with his sunblock since I can’t help him right now?”, King asked Ram’s friend. She nodded and quickly rubbed the sunblock on his back.

“Thanks!”, Ram said.

“Thanks, Nong!,” King stated. Ram looked at King and winked at him. King blushed.

*********************

King sat comfortably on a rock under the coverage of the tree branches above him. The breeze was flowing through his hair and the sun was shining across the water. King was happy watching his friends and Ram’s friends play in the water. Boss tried to encourage him to walk in the shallow area and he had considered it, but a glimpse over at Thara looking at him disapprovingly changed his mind. King opted to sit out.

He was reading about scientific explanations and linear analysis of plants and their energetic connection to the things in their world. The first half of his book was mostly about scientific reasoning and the second half was about understanding plants from the heart. King liked the scientific parts of the book but was enjoying the second part. It was confirming his own experience. It talked about opening the heart and listening so plants can communicate. King had opened his heart to his plants for years and his interactions with them allowed him to be able to identify their needs.

King thought about how much Ram was like his plants. Ram did not say much or even respond sometimes. King was initially unsure of how to proceed with getting to know Ram. With careful observation and interactions with him, King was able to understand Ram and his idiosyncrasies. King realized, at that moment, that he had also opened his heart to Ram. When he opened his heart and listened, that was when Ram had communicated with him. King now understood how opening up and listening had led to him and Ram connecting both in mind and in the heart.

*********************

Ram was enjoying his time in the water with his friends. He hadn’t had this much fun in a while. Because their combined group of friends was so big, it was very easy to find things to do in the water. They played, talked, and competed in races and relays with each other.

Ram was amazed at the four-way chicken fight that went down. Mek had Boss on his shoulders, Frong on Thara’s, Ting Ting on Tang’s, and Duen on Bohn’s. Ram, Phu, and Tee watched as Ting Ting had immediately pushed Boss over, his body splashing into the water. Ting Ting and Duen had led their partners to go towards Thara and Frong and double-teamed him to knock Frong over. It had been a fierce battle between Ting Ting and Duen. Duen was initially trying to not push Ting Ting too much but realized quickly how fierce and strong Ting Ting was. He didn’t know what hit him as Tang stabilized himself in the water as Ting Ting pulled on Duen’s arms, surprising him in the process, and then powerfully pushed Duen and Bohn into the water. Duen and Bohn had spluttered as their heads came out of the water. Ram thought it was the funniest thing he had seen in a long time.

The only thing that would have made the experience better would have been King being with him. King was witty and had funny comments or information that he would share. King never stopped talking and Ram loved it. He loved listening to King talk, laugh, and tease him. King was also able to gage when Ram was feeling uncomfortable and awkward and knew exactly what to do to help him feel better.

The friends continued to swim and play in the water. Ram occasionally glanced over at King to see if he was okay. King had been reading a book as he sat on a rock with his legs dangling into the water. Ram was gazing longingly at King when suddenly a beach ball smacked him in the head. He turned around to see who did it and noticed that Duen was smirking at him as Tang, Ting Ting, and Phu were laughing beside him. Ram huffed at them.

“Come on, loverboy! You’ll be able to be with your P’King soon!”, Ting Ting exclaimed.

Ram’s eyes widened and he quickly looked at his watch. He had 13 minutes and 10 seconds left before he could have King by his side again.

*********************

King continued to read his book, occasionally looking up to see what Ram and his friends were doing.

King was reading a section of the book where the author explored communication with plants and how to learn from the plant itself. He was so absorbed in what the author was saying that he had not realized that there was a cell phone ringing nearby. Looking up from the book, he looked in the direction of the sound. He immediately realized that he recognized that ringtone There were not many people who had the theme song for Rocky as their ringtone.

King put his book down and stood up. He walked over to Ram’s stuff to see his phone face down on his backpack. He picked it up and saw the word “MOM” across the screen. King’s head shot up to look for Ram. He saw Ram talking to his friends and then swimming to get a beach ball that was near him.

“Nong Tang!”, King yelled over to Tang. Tang looked over at his senior.

“Tell Cool Boy that his mom is calling him,” King commanded as he showed Tang the front of Ram’s phone. Tang nodded and swam towards Ram.

*********************

Ram swam to get the beach ball and was heading back to his friends when he noticed Tang swimming towards him.

“Ram! Your mom is calling you,” Tang informed Ram. Ram looked over to his bag and saw King holding his phone up. Ram swam towards King on the rocks.

*********************

King watched as Tang swam up to Ram to tell him about his phone call. Ram had looked up to him and he had held up Ram’s phone to show him he had a call.

Ram started to swim towards him, so King unzipped Ram’s bag. King took out Ram's towel and put it and his phone on top of Ram's backpack. King went back to his rock to keep his distance and to wait for Ram to pick up his phone.

*********************

Ram swam back quickly to his stuff and saw King move away from his area back to his own. King watched as Ram climbed out of the water and grabbed his towel. Ram dried himself off as he grabbed his phone and answered.

“Mom?”

*********************

Ram put his phone on speaker and increased the volume. He looked at King and then the phone. King nodded, understanding that Ram wanted him to listen in on their conversation. King moved closer but maintained his distance.

“Ram? How are you? Are you having fun camping with your friends?”, Ram’s mom asked.

“Yes, Mom. We are having a good time,” Ram responded as he continued to dry off the rest of his body with his towel.

“I know your brother texted you, but I wanted to make sure that you will be at dinner tomorrow night,” Ram’s mother stated.

“Yes. I’ll be there, Mom. What’s going on?”, Ram asked hoping she would provide a clue as to what was happening. He picked up his phone as he continued to dry his hair.

“Well, it’s a long story, so it will probably be better to tell you when you get here. You know that Pin will be here, right?”, Ram’s mom asked. Ram dropped his towel on his backpack and looked up at King before responding.

“I do. Does it have to do with her?“, Ram asked.

“It does. I want you to keep an open mind though. That’s why you need to come home so we can all talk together. Okay?”, Ram’s mom asked.

“Okay, Mom,” Ram countered. Ram looked up at King and sighed. Ram then heard another voice in the background.

“Is that Ram? Let me talk to him,” Ram heard.

“Ram your dad wants to talk to you,” Ram’s mom informed him before handing the phone to his dad. Just when Ram was about to make an excuse, he heard his Dad’s voice.

“Ram! We’ll see you tomorrow, right?”, Ram’s dad asked.

“Yes, Dad”, Ram answered reluctantly.

“Great! We have a lot to talk about! What about your senior, King? Are you going to bring him over again, too? I like that young man,” Ram’s dad asked. Ram looked over at King, who was surprised that Ram’s dad asked for him.

“No, Dad. P’King is visiting his grandmother for the weekend,” Ram informed his dad.

“Oh, too bad. I liked talking to him. He seems like a very good influence on you. Plus, we may need to ask him to assist us, but we will talk about the details later. See you tomorrow! Bye, son!”, Ram’s Dad stated before hanging up.

Ram looked up at King who had a confused look on his face. What could Ram’s dad want King to help them with?

*********************

Ram stood frozen in his spot, trying to process the phone call from his parents. All he could figure out was that the dinner had to do with Pin, they wanted him to stay open-minded, and that he may need King to help him. He didn’t know what to make of it at all. He hadn’t wanted to talk to his dad at all. Hearing about Pin and his dad in the same conversation with his mom was just overwhelming and made him feel sad. He looked pleadingly into King’s eyes.

King watched as Ram processed the conversation. His heart understood that Ram’s was breaking with the thought that both of Ram’s parents were involved with something with Pin and that they wanted Ram to be willing to consider whatever they were going to present to him. King could only imagine the thoughts going through Ram’s head. King knew that Ram needed him right now, but he was still going through the test. King looked into Ram’s sad eyes and wanted to go to him. King looked at his watch. He had 3 minutes and 7 seconds left before the test was done.

Ram looked down at the ground and took a deep breath. He started putting his stuff away so he could leave the waterfall. King took that as a cue for him to do the same. King grabbed his book and other stuff and crammed them into his bag. He put his backpack on.

Ram finished packing all his stuff and put his backpack on as well. He turned around and looked at King. King faced him, four feet away, and waited.

They stared at each other longingly as the seconds ticked by. It was agonizingly slow for both of them. All King wanted to do was comfort Ram right now. 

*********************

Duen and Bohn were swimming back towards Ram’s other friends when he noticed Ram and King staring at each other with their backpacks on. He looked at his watch. They had one minute and 29 seconds left.

“What are they doing? I hope P’King didn’t cheat,” Duen said.

“I think they are probably waiting for the time to run out. Ram’s mom just called him,” Tang explained.

Duen moved closer and saw how sad Ram looked. He felt guilty.

*********************

By the time, he got close enough to Ram and King, 3 alarms went off at the same time.

Duen quickly yelled out, “Go ahead, P’King! You passed the test!”

“Thanks, Nong!”, King yelled back. Ram and King moved towards each other.

King grabbed Ram’s hand as they walked away from the waterfall.

*********************

After a few minutes of dragging Ram, King stopped along the path heading back to camp. They had to cross a stream full of rocks to get back on the path, but King wanted to stop first.

He turned to see Ram looking down. He let go of Ram’s hand and brought both of his hands up to Ram’s face and rubbed his thumbs along his cheeks, bringing Ram’s face up so he could see Ram’s eyes. Ram’s sad eyes looked into King’s. King tilted Ram’s head and kissed his forehead before reaching around Ram’s shoulders to pull him into a hug. Ram wrapped his arms around King’s torso, his fists clutching King’s jacket. King patted Ram’s head in comfort and protectiveness.

“I’m so glad the timer went off when it did. I don’t think I could have waited any longer to get to you”, King said.

“Me too,” Ram said.

“Are you okay?”, King asked. Ram nodded into King’s shoulder. He lifted his head to look up at King.

“I’m okay. I just don’t know what to think about everything. What do you think?”, Ram asked.

“Well, I heard the whole conversation. I don’t think you should make any conclusions based on so little information,” King said. King took Ram’s hand again and entwined their fingers. King and Ram started hopping on the rocks across the stream.

“I know, but I just don’t get how my parents are involved with Pin considering what is going on with my dad and Pin. It just doesn’t make sense. My mom wants me to be open-minded. What does that mean?”, Ram stated as he pulled King off one of the rocks in the stream onto the path. King stopped Ram before walking again.

“Hold on. Let’s think about it. I don’t think your mom is aware of Pin and your dad’s relationship because I think she would have been more upset while talking to you. It sounds like whatever is going on will directly impact you since they are asking you to be open-minded about the situation. The other thing was your dad stating that you may want my help,” King discussed.

“That caught me off guard. I didn’t think my dad would mention you at all,” Ram said.

“What can you say? Your dad likes me. I’m a good influence on you after all, “King said proudly. Ram shook his head and laughed.

“My dad would be charmed by you. I was, “Ram said honestly as he brought King’s hand up and kissed the back of his hand. They started walking along the path again.

“I think it would be best to not worry about it until you have more information. We already know it involves Pin. We just don’t know in what way,” King concluded. Ram nodded and took a deep breath.

“You’re right. I’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Thanks for always helping me through my family issues,” Ram said. King stopped them in the middle of the path.

“No problem. You know I’m always here for you,” King said as he pecked Ram on the lips. They continued to walk in silence, appreciating being able to be in each other’s presence. After some time, King spoke up.

“So, what did you think of the test?”, King asked.

“It wasn’t hard. I just missed being with you,” Ram admitted.

“I missed you, too, but I knew we could get through it,” King stated as he stopped them along the path again. He grabbed Ram’s hands in his so they were facing each other.

“Being apart did reiterate something for me though,” King admitted happily.

“What?”, Ram asked.

“Where you are is where I want to be,” King said seriously. Ram stared at King and a smile started to form on his face. He felt the same way. King smiled back. King started giggling which caused Ram to giggle, too. King was so cheesy sometimes, Ram loved it. Ram couldn’t help but think of a comeback. He suddenly looked over at King with a serious expression.

“Being apart reiterated something for me, too,” Ram said, acting seriously.

“What?”, King asked, curious as to what Ram had to say.

“You’re never too far away because we’re close in the heart,” Ram stated dramatically. King blinked and stared at Ram. He then shook his head and hit Ram’s shoulder.

“I meant it!”, Ram said as he smiled brightly at King.

“I meant what I said, too!”, King said smiling back.

King and Ram continued to smile fondly at each other, then slowly leaned in for a kiss. Afterward, they tilted their heads back to look at each other affectionately before leaning forward again to rub their noses together.

King and Ram continued their walk back to camp. They were holding hands, swinging their arms, laughing, and feeling delighted that they were reunited after being forbidden to be near each other. King and Ram hoped that they would be able to spend quality time together for the rest of the night as there was uncertainty about what tomorrow will bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed both chapters of Test 3! Thanks for being patient with the updates! Take care!


	31. An Unexpected Romantic Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ram and King get back to camp and decide to wash up and spend some quality time together. Things don't always go as planned, because sometimes they are better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay!
> 
> I wanted to get two chapters out for Test 4 like all the other tests, but I found that I ended up writing way more for the interval between the waterfall and the Talent Show. Because it didn't have anything to do with Test 4, this is the interlude.
> 
> Please forgive me for any mistakes/typos. 
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains mature content. Please read at your own risk.

After walking the trail for a few minutes, King and Ram walked through the camp and noticed that there was hardly anyone around. They heard loud cheering coming from the meeting area, so King and Ram figured there was an event going on that the rest of the volunteers were participating in. 

King and Ram eventually made it back to their tent. King went inside of it to put away his stuff. Ram, who was still wet from the waterfall, stayed outside of the tent while putting his stuff back in. King, noticing that Ram did not want to get anything wet, was happy to help him.

“I think I am going to hit the showers. Do you want to come?”, Ram asked King. King looked up and started checking out his good looking boyfriend.

“Is that an invitation?”, King responded flirtatiously. Ram eyed King and decided to banter back. He leaned a little forward so his face was closer to King’s.

“Do you want it to be?”, Ram asked huskily. King’s eyes widened as he realized that his innocent flirting had turned into something else. King cleared his throat.

“No. I was just joking. I want to take a shower with you,” King said, then got flustered. 

“I mean, I want to go to the showers with you but not take a shower with you,” King tried to express. 

“You were insisting on taking a shower a few days ago. You don’t want a repeat performance?”, Ram asked with bedroom eyes. King breathed in and out.

“Honestly, I do want to, but I don’t think I can handle being in the shower with you for a long time without getting caught,” King admitted.

“Okay, so you want to take a shower with me, just not today?”, Ram inquired. King nodded. King wished they had more time.

“Well, let’s just get our stuff and go,” Ram suggested. 

King and Ram grabbed their clothes, toiletries, and fresh towels, and headed to the showers.

*********************

When King and Ram got to the showers, they were the only ones there. They had two options. Two shower stalls had a door that went from the floor almost to the ceiling. Two showerheads were on the back wall and open to the elements of the forest. King and Ram were planning to use the stalls.

King started walking towards the far stall when he was stopped by Ram, who grabbed his arm.

“Shower with me?”, Ram asked.

“I told you. We shouldn’t,” King said. 

“We’ll just shower. That’s it,” Ram said sincerely. King eyed Ram for a few seconds before agreeing.

“Are you sure we can shower without doing anything? I feel like it’s going to be difficult”, King stated honestly, looking down at his feet.

“P’King, I spent the last 6 hours not being able to talk to you, touch, you, or be near you. I just want to be close to you,” Ram confessed with a pout, as he brought his hand up to lift King’s chin so they could make eye contact.

“I want to be close to you. I just don’t know if I can resist you because you are so hot,” King admitted mumbling at the end. Ram leaned in to give King a chaste kiss on the lips.

“You’re hot to me, too. We’ll have to try to keep it to just showering, okay? We’ll be fine”, Ram told both of them, although he wasn’t sure himself. King nodded.

****************

Ram and King both got into the large shower stall. They put their toiletries on the ground and hung their towels and clothes on the towel rack and the towel hook inside the door. 

Ram, deciding he might as well get this over with, took off his shirt and then his swimming trunks. King watched, as if in a trance, as Ram’s back and ass were slowly revealed. Ram turned slightly to face King.

“P’, can you put my clothes in that plastic bag hanging on the towel hook behind you?”, Ram asked. King took the clothes and put them in the bag. Now that they were both in the shower, Ram realized that maybe this was not a good idea to be naked together in the same shower stall.

Ram tried to respect King’s wishes to just take a shower. He did not dare turn around to look at King and resolutely faced the showerhead. He grabbed the shower knob and turned it to get the water to a warm temperature and then got under the water.

As soon as King was given Ram’s clothes, he put them in the bag and did not turn around. He heard the water turn on and took a deep breath. King took off his swimming jacket and trunks. 

“I can do this,” King told himself before turning around. King watched as the water from the showerhead was flowing down Ram’s back. King was mesmerized by the water touching Ram’s skin. He watched the water flow down his shoulders, then his back, and then over Ram’s ass. That was when he noticed Ram’s left buttcheek and Ram’s infamous dog paw birthmark. Suddenly, Ram bent over to grab some shampoo.

Ram, unaware of what was going on behind him was trying his best to get through the shower as quickly as possible. He shampooed and rinsed his hair. He was happy that King was with him because being near him was making him feel better. He bent down again, put some conditioner in the palm of his hand, and then ran the conditioner through his hair. King, unable to handle Ram bent over again, couldn’t take it anymore.

“Cool Boy, give me the soap,” King demanded as he put his hand out near Ram’s side. Ram bent over again, grabbed the soap, and put it in King’s hand before getting under the water to rinse his hair. King lathered up the soap and then started soaping up Ram’s shoulders. Ram tensed.

“What are you doing?”, Ram asked, shocked. He hadn’t expected King to touch him at all since he was the one who wanted to keep the shower clean, literally.

“Just relax. Let me wash you,” King said. Ram took a deep breath and waited.

King continued to wash Ram with the soap along Ram’s back. Ram was trying to not respond to King’s touch, but it was very difficult for him. King slowly soaped every part of Ram’s back. He then moved closer to Ram and started soaping Ram’s chest from behind. King’s body was close to flush to Ram’s. Ram could feel King’s cock rub against his ass as King leaned in so his hands could reach every crevice of Ram’s chest. Ram closed his eyes tightly trying to resist himself from turning around and taking King right there.

King loved touching Ram’s body but was realizing he was starting to get hard. It was pure torture trying to keep his cock from rubbing Ram’s ass, but as he leaned forward to scrub the dirt away from Ram’s body, it kept on grazing Ram’s skin. King decided to work on Ram’s arms to calm down, so he started washing one arm and the next. He then got on his knees, lathered more soap, and started washing Ram’s feet and legs. 

Ram was struggling. King’s touch along his arms and legs were driving him wild. His cock was so hard and he was doing all he could not to grab it and start jerking off. King soaping his legs was making him feel wobbly as King got his hands closer to his cock and ass. He was having a hard time standing up without having to lean against a wall.

When King finished Ram’s legs, he paused. There were only two parts left to wash. King stared at Ram’s ass and birthmark. He lathered up the soap in his hands. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. King then started massaging Ram’s ass with his soap lathered hands. He started with his right buttcheek and then his left. King then cleaned Ram in between the two globes. Ram let out a moan that he was holding.

“Be quiet,” King commanded in a whisper. Ram was trying but King was making it difficult.

Ram couldn’t help himself and leaned his hands onto the shower stall wall to keep himself standing up since his legs were going weak. 

That move allowed the water to flow down his back to rinse the soap out of the way to reveal Ram’s birthmark again. King stared at Ram’s birthmark and started touching the dog paw with his fingers. King thought the birthmark was beautiful. He leaned in closer to look at the details and then impulsively decided to lick it and suck it.

Ram, not expecting King’s tongue on his ass, held in his moan. He turned his head to look behind him and saw King, naked, on his knees, licking and sucking his birthmark on his buttcheek. King was turning him on so much. He didn’t think he was going to last that long. King, being satisfied with finally getting close and personal with Ram’s ass and birthmark, decided he needed to finish Ram’s shower.

“Turn around, “King demanded. Ram turned around reluctantly because his cock was so hard and throbbing. Ram looked ashamed.

“Sorry, P’King. I couldn’t help it,” Ram admitted. 

King knew that he had said that they were going to just shower, but he couldn’t help himself either. It was hard for him not to be closer to Ram in some way, and that includes being intimate. 

King looked up at Ram to inquire if he could continue and Ram nodded. King responded to Ram by lathering his hands up with the soap and then soaping Ram’s crotch. Ram watched in wonder as King remained on his knees and started massaging Ram’s balls. King then took Ram’s cock in his hands and spread the lather up and down Ram’s shaft. The water from the showerhead eventually rinsed away all the soap, but King’s hands remained on Ram’s cock, stroking him from base to tip. 

Ram was trying to keep himself standing up as King continued to stroke his cock. King then stopped all of a sudden. Ram looked down at King, who had his right hand holding his cock. 

King looked up at Ram and stared into his eyes, before slowly licking his lips and then moving his mouth onto Ram’s cock. Ram was hit with such shock to his system as his boyfriend started sucking his cock that his hands dropped to King’s shoulders to keep him steady.

King had not given a blow job before but was just going with what he felt right. His right hand and his mouth found a rhythm that Ram seemed to be enjoying.

Ram was getting close. King’s tongue was doing wicked things to him and he thought King looked so hot with his head bobbing up and down on his cock. Then, he suddenly felt King’s hand start kneading his ass. When King’s fingers started brushing against Ram’s butt crack, Ram started to feel tightness in his belly.

“I’m going to cum!”, Ram told King as he tried to move King away. King wanted to give as much as he received and maintained his ground. King held Ram’s ass tightly to keep Ram in place and continued to suck. Ram saw stars as he cummed into King’s mouth. King swallowed every last drop. Ram finally leaned against the wall and looked at his boyfriend.

King stood up and licked his lips. King didn't think it tasted too bad. Ram grabbed the back of King’s neck and brought his lips to his. Ram stuck his tongue into King’s mouth and tasted himself. King held onto Ram’s shoulders as Ram devoured King and started to kiss and suck along King’s neck.

“What happened to not doing anything?”, Ram asked as he splattered kisses behind his ear.

“It’s kind of hard to hold back every time I am near you,” King confessed. Ram moved his head back to look at King.

“You don’t have to hold back. I feel the same way,” Ram said as he started rubbing King’s arms. King nodded.

“Okay, your turn! Stay right here. We have to keep your head from getting wet,” Ram said. Ram had turned King around to face the back of the stall while the water continued to flow onto Ram and King’s backside.

Ram grabbed the soap and gently washed King. He brought his hands up to King’s shoulders and massaged King’s neck with his thumbs. King let out a sigh. Ram’s hands worked wonders. Ram continued to simultaneously wash and massage King along his shoulders and back. King felt the tension start to leave his body and he became more relaxed. 

Ram hesitated for a second before kneeling and continuing to use the soap to massage King’s ass. Ram was enjoying the view but moved down to wash King’s legs. King was disappointed that Ram didn’t linger longer.

Ram would very much like to do a lot more with King, but he also knew that they were running out of time alone since their friends were going to be heading back to camp and would be heading to the showers soon. Ram knew that King also did not want to get caught since he is a hazer and a senior. King strived to be a good role model to his juniors and being caught in the showers would make him feel bad. Although Ram was amused that King was the one that made the move on him before he could, he was currently taking a clinical approach to washing King before he tried to do anything else. It all depended on how much time they had. Ram moved slightly and shifted King back a little to let the shower spray rinse off the soap from King’s body.

“P’, can you turn around?”, Ram asked. King did what he was told. King watched as Ram efficiently washed his legs before standing up and washing his arms. He also lathered up the soap before washing King’s chest and abs. King was wondering if Ram was just going to just stick to washing him and nothing else. King figured he would have to wait and see what happens since there was one area that Ram had not washed yet.

Ram knelt in front of King and lathered up more soap. He looked up at King to see if it was okay to continue and King nodded to him with encouragement. Ram followed the same path King had by washing King’s balls before lathering up his hands to wash King’s cock. Ram moved aside to allow the water to rinse the soap off King’s crotch area. He then kneeled back down. King watched as Ram was at eye level with his cock and staring at it. King was anticipating what Ram would do next.

Ram unsure how to proceed, stared at King’s beautiful cock for a few seconds. He decided to stroke it. Ram watched as King closed his eyes, taking in the pleasure of Ram’s hand on his cock. Ram then started to lick the tip of King’s cock and watched as King started to become undone. He then started swirling his tongue around King’s cock as he stroked him. Ram decided to go ahead and suck on King’s cock enthusiastically, increasing the speed of his sucks and strokes. 

King, wanting to kiss Ram and touch him so he pulled Ram up so their lips could touch and King’s arms could be around his shoulders. King stuck his tongue into Ram’s mouth to meet his. They passionately kissed, responding to each others’ cues and switching things up occasionally. As they continued to make out with Ram mostly under the water, Ram brought his hand back to stroke King’s cock. 

King was so turned on by their wet bodies together that he felt a jolt when Ram grabbed his cock and started stroking him again. King could feel Ram’s hard cock on his thigh, so he decided to grab Ram’s cock and started stroking him also. Ram was about to moan loudly, but King pulled Ram’s head to his to deepen their kiss and drown it out in the shower.

King and Ram were enraptured by the other. They experienced the intimacy of the moment and the intense feelings they had for each other in every kiss, touch, and stroke. King could not get enough of Ram and Ram could not get enough of King. They were both getting close. As they continued to kiss, Ram brought his other hand down to King’s chest and started playing with his nipple. Ram started rubbing at the nub and pinching it between his fingers. Then he flicked it a few times. King, not able to deal with the sensation of Ram’s mouth, his fingers on his nipples, and his other hand on his cock, felt his abs get tight and started cumming. As he came, King continued to increase the speed of his strokes and kissed and sucked on Ram’s neck.

“Cum for me,” he commanded Ram sexily before nibbling and sucking on his ear lobe. Ram, so turned on when King was demanding, cummed for the second time. King stroked him until he was empty. 

Ram and King were both exhausted but rinsed themselves off before turning off the water. They helped each other get dressed and grabbed all of their toiletries and dirty clothes. Before leaving the shower stall, King and Ram leaned into each other for a peck on the lips.

King slowly opened the door of the shower stall and looked around. The coast was clear, so he and Ram quickly left the showers and went outside. As they walked out, they noticed Bohn, Duen, Tang, Phu, and Ting Ting, heading their way. 

“Are the showers free?”, Bohn asked. 

“Yup,” King responded with Ram beside him, thankful that they finished their private activities before their friends had come back from the waterfall.

***************

King and Ram walked back to their tent and put their stuff away. They decided to wait for their friends to get changed before heading off to dinner. Ram and King saw a picnic table nearby and Ram sat on the table with his feet on the bench. King sat beside him.

Ram looked out at the tents, the forests, and the volunteers walking around. He was so glad that he was not separated from King anymore. Although he was capable of being apart from King, he didn’t want to be. King made him feel better about things and made him feel happy. His mind wandered to tomorrow morning when King would leave for his grandmother’s house and he would have to go to dinner with his parents. Ram looked down at the ground. King watched Ram’s face morph from contentment to sadness and reached out to touch Ram’s hair to comfort him.

King decided to distract Ram so he laid down and put his head on Ram’s lap. Ram was surprised that King was laying down on him. King looked peaceful with his eyes closed. Ram brought his hand up to take King’s bangs out of his face. Ram‘s frown started to turn upside down as he stared at his boyfriend. Ram liked King’s eyebrows, his nose, his lips, his chin. Honestly, Ram liked everything about King’s face. He could look at that face all day. 

King, not realizing he would feel so comfortable on Ram’s muscular thighs, closed his eyes and appreciated the sun on his face, the nice weather, and being close to his boyfriend. King felt Ram’s fingers brush against his forehead and knew he got Ram’s attention and hoped he was not feeling better. He slowly opened his eyes to look at Ram.

As soon as he saw King’s eyes open, Ram looked away, removed his hand from King’s forehead, and placed his hand on King’s chest. King looked up at Ram’s face and smiled to himself as Ram tried to play it off like he had not gotten caught staring. King grabbed Ram’s hand, closed his eyes, and placed Ram’s hand on his cheek. King placed his hand on top of Ram’s hand and felt his cheek tingle with the warmth of Ram's hand.

Ram looked down at King’s face as King opened his eyes and made eye contact with him.

“What were you thinking about just then?”, King asked. Ram shook his head. He knew he was being silly.

“Cool Boy, I know something is bothering you. What’s wrong?”, King asked again.

“I was just thinking about you leaving for your grandmother’s house and the dinner tomorrow,” Ram admitted. King got up from Ram’s lap and sat up to look at Ram. King knew exactly how Ram felt.

“I am going to miss you, too, you know?”, King said as he grabbed Ram’s hand in his. He rubbed his thumb on the back of Ram’s hand.

“You’ll eat dinner with your parents, get it over with, and then text me as soon as you are able, right?” King inquired. He was worried about the dinner also. He hoped it did not turn out to be as bad as they anticipated. Ram did, too. Ram nodded.

“Please don’t worry about me. I want you to enjoy your time with your grandmother,” Ram conveyed to Ram.

“I know, but I just am concerned. I know it’s going to be fine, regardless of how terrible it may be. Even though I will be at my grandmother’s house, you can call me or text me anytime if you need anything. Your friends and I got your back,” King reassured Ram. Ram nodded.

Ram knew that things would be fine eventually. He just felt like it sucked that he had to go through all this drama. Ram missed the times where he felt happy being at home with his family.

****************

Ram and King sat next to each other in silence for a while holding hands. They didn’t have to talk. They were comfortable just being with each other. King couldn’t believe how happy he was. He was happy before, but being with Ram was a whole other happy. Ram was like the last missing piece of the puzzle of his life. He was so happy and excited about it, he wanted to put it on a frame and hang it on his wall. This was kind of freaking King out because Ram completed him and made him want to be a better version of himself.

Ram couldn’t ask for a better boyfriend. King was handsome, supportive, smart, and all around, wonderful. Ram didn’t know what deal he had to make in a previous life to deserve someone like King, but King was worth it. Despite all the stress he has about his family, he knows things will be okay eventually. Before last week, he thought he was alone and that things were going to be awful, but King and his friends had proved him wrong. 

“What did you think of the test this morning?”, King asked.

“It was unnecessarily long. Duen was just upset,” Ram said.

“I didn’t think it would be that hard considering how often we are apart during school. I hadn't realized that the more I spend time with you the harder it is to be away from you ”, King admitted. 

“After our shower, I also realized how hard it was to hold back myself every time I am near you,” King continued. Ram liked the idea of King wanting him. Ram turned his body to face King.

“I feel the same way,” Ram said as he brought King’s hand up to kiss the back of his hand.

“Well, I guess we should try to spend as much time with each other as possible, right?”, King suggested as he smiled at Ram. Ram smiled back and nodded. They leaned in and rubbed their noses together. 

*********************

King and Ram were sitting at the table chatting when they saw a bunch of their friends coming back from the showers. Their friends went back to their tents to put their stuff away before meeting up in front of Tee’s tent. Tee looked around and found Ram and King watching them.

“Let’s go to dinner, you lovebirds!”, Tee yelled. King and Ram looked at each other, got up, and followed their friends to the dining area.

***********************

King, Ram, and their respective friends all sat with their bowls eating Thai Chicken Panang Curry and chatted about various topics. Thara and Frong joined them as well as Nott and Pun. Pictures from the hike and waterfall were shared and Nott and Pun discussed how the volunteers had played a bunch of outdoor games while they were at the waterfall. Because they had over an hour to kill before the Talent Show, the group decided to go play a game together. 

The group walked over to an area where there was a picnic table and where there was some space for them to spread out. 

Ting Ting busted out a deck and showed it to everyone. King noticed that the name of the game was “Yogi” as Ting Ting laid it on the top of the table.

“So, Yogi is a party game where on each turn you draw a card with a simple instruction, such as putting the card on top of your head or putting your finger on your nose. If a player can't comply with all of them, he is out of the game,” Ting Ting explained. They immediately started playing.

Everyone watched as Phu picked first. He read the card out loud, “Right pinky pointing down.” 

Phu pointed his right pinky down. The rest of the group picked their cards and followed the instructions.

Tang had to keep his card touching his right ear. 

Ting Ting had to keep her card on the top of her head.

Boss’s left thumb had to point up.

Mek had to keep his card on his left shoulder.

Duen had to keep his left palm facing down. 

Bohn had to keep his right palm face down.

Nott had to keep his card touching his thumb.

Pun had to keep his right wrist bent.

Tee had to keep one finger touching his armpit.

King was watching everyone and picked a card. He laughed and had to keep one finger touching his nose.

Ram giggled as he watched King keep his finger on his nose and picked a card next. He had to keep his card on the back of his left hand.

Thara had to keep one ear on his shoulder.

Frong had to keep one finger touching his ear.

They went through another round with Ting Ting dropping her card when she grabbed her next card and Mek dropped his card when Boss was joking around. Pun dropped out because he had not kept his wrist bent and had reached out to move Nott’s bangs out of his eyes.

The friends continued to play laughing and enjoying themselves, with players slowly dropping out of each round. Ram had not lasted that long because he could not keep his card on the back of his left hand. Finally, the last two players standing were Thara and King. 

King had a finger touching his nose and another finger touching his ear. He also had his other hand on his knee and his right elbow touching his torso.

Thara was standing with one finger touching his forehead, a card between his chin and chest, a card in his armpit, and his left hand above his left elbow.

Because King couldn’t use any of his hands, he spoke.

“Cool Boy, can you grab my card for me?” King asked.

Ram nodded. He grabbed the card for King and brought it up to his face to read.

“Two hands touching,” King said and then attempted to bring his head down to his knee and could not get his hands to touch at all.

Thara grabbed a card, looked at it, and said, “Lower teeth hidden” and did so.

Everyone cheered!

“P’Thara is the winner!”, Ting Ting yelled.

************************

Everyone congratulated Thara as he finally was able to relax and release his cards. It was almost time for the talent show, so the group dispersed to use the restroom, go back to their tents, or take a break before going to the meeting area to find a place to sit and watch the show.

King made eye contact with Nott, who nodded discreetly at him before he and Pun made an excuse that they had to go grab something from their tent.

King distracted Ram by pulling him away and walking to the edge of the camp. Unbeknownst to King, he had pulled Ram to an area where he had the perfect view of the sun setting in the distance. The sun was a golden yellow and it laid a golden tint on the water near the camp. The sun was slowly descending, the gold and reds slowly disappearing behind the trees. Ram looked at King with fondness.

“I woke up to a sunrise this morning and ended my day with a sunset. Is this your last test? If it is, you passed”, Ram asked. Ram thought it was sweet of King to give him the sunrise and the sunset. 

Ram grabbed King’s face and latched his mouth onto King's and thoroughly kissed him. His appreciation, adoration, and affection were expressed in how his lips tenderly touched King's. He leaned back and looked into King’s eyes.

“Thank you,” Ram said. King was dazed for a second before he shook his head to clear it. 

“Cool Boy, I hadn't planned on seeing the sunset with you but I’d be happy to bring you to a sunset often if you are going to kiss me like that,” King stated as he wrapped his arms around Ram’s neck. Ram brought his arms around King. 

“So, this isn’t the last test?”, Ram clarified. King shook his head.

“No. This isn’t the last test but I’ll pass it by the end of the night,” King promised Ram. Ram nodded.

“Thank you, P’King,” Ram said.

“For what?”, King asked.

“For going through the tests for me, for supporting me, and for being you,” Ram said sincerely.

“I told you. I would do anything for you,” King expressed wholeheartedly with a smile. Ram smiled back and then leaned forward to squeeze King in a tight hug.

Ram loosened the hug, then slightly leaned his face forward to happily rub his nose against King’s and pecked him on the lips. King smiled before rubbing his nose against Ram’s.

They continued to hold each other as they watched the sunset and the night surround them until they heard a voice over a megaphone.

“The Talent Show will be starting in about 15 minutes. All volunteers are welcome to find their spots at the meeting area to watch the festivities!”

King and Ram looked at each other and smiled before King took Ram’s hand and started to walk back to meet up with their friends to watch the Talent Show. King took a deep breath. He was ready to pass one last test for his Ram.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was not lame and that you guys got something out of it. Sorry. It was an interlude.
> 
> I tried my best to try to improve the previous shower scene prior to the trip. Hope it turned out okay.
> 
> Yogi was the game the cast actually played during their More than My Engineer Fan Meeting. I actually bought it because I thought the game was awesome.
> 
> I have to give credit to Willie and Alex from Julie and the Phantoms. The scene when Alex thanks Willie kept popping up on my Youtube, so I modified it for Ram's thank you in the chapter. 
> 
> I have a day off on Monday so I am hoping I get some time to write more so I can get out another chapter soon.
> 
> Thanks again for your patience and understanding!


	32. Test 4: Wanna Love You More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King, Ram, and their friends head out to the talent show. Ram and King watch the performances together with their friends and enjoy the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry all for the delay! Here is Test 4! 
> 
> There are a number of embedded videos in this to help supplement the story. It may be helpful to listen to them or watch them in order for you to imagine what is happening in the text. Some of them are actual footage of the actors dancing or singing during the More Than My Engineer Fan Meeting. Others are the music videos that are the covers of the songs included in the text and you may have to imagine the characters singing and dancing similarly.
> 
> WARNING: LONG CHAPTER AHEAD!
> 
> Please enjoy!

King and Ram met up with their friends and sat down near the center of the seating area so they could get a good view of the stage. The meeting area was set up a bit differently than normal. The staging area was on a platform that was decorated with strings of twinkling lights and outdoor lanterns that made the stage glow in the darkness. There were some different things laid out near the stage including a guitar, props, some hand drums, etc. On the stage, was the speaker that Tee and King used the previous day for the tree planting and two microphones on portable stands.

King and Ram thought the staging area looked way nicer than it normally looked. They also noticed that some of their friends had changed their clothes. Tang was wearing a beanie and some overalls. Phu was also wearing a beanie and warm-ups. Ram looked at them oddly since they usually don't wear clothes like that.

King noticed his friends had changed their clothes, too. Nott was wearing a button-down shirt open at the neck and some black jeans and Pun was wearing black shorts and an oversized sweater. Bohn was sitting next to Duen wearing matching yellow shirts. He was about to ask Bohn what was going on when he was interrupted by Tee, who was on the stage.

“Good evening everyone! We are going to get right into the talent show! We will determine a winner based on who can get the most applause. The winner of the talent show will be getting a Thai Massage and Spa package for two,” Tee informed the crowd. The volunteers cheered in excitement. 

“Let me welcome your host, Dao, who will be introducing the performers,” Tee exclaimed as he handed the microphone to Dao, who was dressed prettily in a skirt and a floral top. 

“Hi Everyone! I’m Dao and we have a lot of talented volunteers performing tonight. Remember, the louder you applaud, the higher the chance they will be our winner! Is everyone ready to see the talent you have amongst your peers?”, Dao asked. King and Ram looked at each other and started to cheer along with everyone else in the audience. 

“Our first performance is Han and Mani who will be re-enacting a scene from Romeo and Juliet,” Dao announced.

King and Ram watched as a couple came up dramatically to the stage and started reciting Shakespeare. King watched the couple and was amused by how over the top they were. Ram just watched King. King would occasionally turn to Ram and smile at him before looking back at the performance. Ram observed King’s profile as the sparkly lights shined upon his face. He could look at King all day. 

“Ah-hem,” someone cleared his throat beside Ram. Ram turned his head to see Duen smiling widely at him.

Ram gave Duen an upward nod. 

“Are you mad about this morning?”, Duen asked, concerned. Initially, Ram was irritated by his best friend. His best friend had been upset about what Ram had put Bohn through, but Bohn was known to be a player and Ram was being protective. Ram thought about it. Was he mad? Not really. He was over it as soon as he was reunited with King. He was even better after King and Ram had hit the showers. 

Ram looked at his friend honestly and shook his head. Duen smiled, relieved. Bohn and King were leaning back to talk to each other while Ram and Duen were leaning forward to speak to each other.

“I knew P’King would pass the test. He has been into you for so long that he would have done whatever he needed to pass,” Duen commented. Ram looked at Duen with a surprised look on his face.

“How did I know? Ram, he has been chasing after you for months. You’ve just been oblivious, “ Duen pointed out. Ram rolled his eyes at him. Ram then listened to Duen make comments about the performance.

***************

While Ram and Duen were talking, Bohn leaned behind Duen and Ram and tapped King’s shoulder. King turned his head and saw his best friend. 

“Hey!”, King greeted Bohn. Bohn greeted King back with a big smile on his face.

“You and Nong Ram seem to be in a good mood since this morning”, Bohn asked.

“Of course we are! We were separated for most of the day and that test is now done. One last test to go!”, King whispered to Bohn.

“What is it?”, Bohn asked, wondering what King would have to do.

“You’ll see,” King responded to Bohn. 

“What’s with the matching yellow shirts?”, King asked. 

“You’ll see,” Bohn responded to King with a smirk and then leaned forward and turned back to Duen.

King shook his head and went back to watching the performance.

*********************

The next performance was a second-year who went on stage with his cell phone. He brought a chair up close to the microphone and sat down. He then leaned forward and held his phone above the microphone so he could see it. The audience waited.

The second-year started playing a song on a piano application. He then started singing [When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_87ye5rCLI&list=RDZ_87ye5rCLI&start_radio=1)with the piano application accompaniment.

**_Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now_ **

**_Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same_ **

**_When our friends talk about you, all it does is just tear me down_ **

**_'Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name_ **

The second year’s voice echoed throughout camp and he seemed so heartfelt. 

King turned to Ram, “Wow! He’s a really good singer! He might win.” Ram nodded his head. It seemed like the second-year was sad while he sang the song. Ram thought about the lyrics and how him focusing on himself and being selfish led to him losing a strong woman in his life. He couldn’t help but think about his father’s behavior and his mother, who he adored. He looked down at his lap. He was still so confused about how his father could be so selfish to treat his beautiful and wonderful mother so poorly.

King was impressed with the second-year. He then turned to look at Ram. Ram had his head down, looking at his lap. King stared at him for a few seconds before scooting closer to Ram and grabbing his hand in his own. King gave it a squeeze and Ram looked up at King.

“I’m here. I know you are thinking about your parents and I know you are upset, but I am here for you. I’m here with you,” King said as he made eye contact with Ram. Ram squeezed King’s hand back and took a deep breath. The second-year finished the song and loud applause rang through the camp. King looked around.

“Come on. Let’s watch more performances. I’m sure they will be funny, light-hearted, and entertaining,” King suggested. Ram nodded. King then whispered into Ram’s ear.

“Maybe I can also try to distract you later to keep you from thinking about your parents.”

Ram’s head swiftly turned to look at King. Ram nodded slowly and looked at King’s lips. He was about to lean in when he heard a gasp from Ting Ting.

Ram turned around to look at their friends to find that Ting Ting was the only one of his friends that were sitting with him. Tee, Nott, Pun, Thara, Frong, Mek, and Boss, were chatting, eating, or watching the performance.

“Where are Tang, Phu, and Duen?”, Ram asked Ting Ting. Before she could say anything, Dao got on the microphone.

“Our next performers are one of our first-year engineering students and his friend, who is a first-year medical faculty student. Let’s hear it for Nong Phu and Nong Tang!”

Ram's eyebrows raised and he stared wide-eyed as two of his close friends walked on the stage. 

“What’s going on?”, Ram said to himself. King looked at Ram amusedly.

***************

Phu plugged in his phone into the speaker, tapped the screen, and then joined Tang in the center of the stage.

An upbeat Korean pop song started. Ram knew the song immediately. It was [Chewing Gum by NCT Dream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl12u5bJSUY). He watched in amazement as Phu and Tang were lip-syncing the words and dancing to the song. He then heard loud, outrageous screaming coming from right beside him!

“Woooooooohooo!”, yelled Ting Ting. She had her cell phone out videotaping the performance and couldn’t stop yelling. She was totally fangirling! 

“TANG!!!!”, Ting Ting yelled as Tang made eye contact with her and smiled sweetly.

“Wow, I didn’t know your friends danced so well,” King stated. Ram nodded and was surprised also. They were totally into it and their performance was making him feel better already. 

Phu and Tang ended with Phu’s arm around Tang. Tang brought up his hand in a finger heart and smiled brightly at the audience before glancing over at Ting Ting. 

“WOOOHOOOOOO!” Ting Ting screamed. Ram, King, and the rest of their friends yelled loudly for Phu and Tang.

*******************

Currently, on stage was a girl who was planning to juggle a bunch of apples, balls, and knives. Ram and Ting Ting got sidetracked from the performance once they noticed that their friends were coming back from the stage. Phu and Tang were getting a bunch of compliments as they walked back to where they were sitting. As they got closer, Ting Ting and Ram were all smiles.

“You guys were so good!”, Ting Ting praised Phu and Tang as they sat down. Ram nodded enthusiastically. 

“Thanks,” Tang said. Ram looked at them questioningly. Phu answered Ram's look, “We were hanging out one day studying and got bored, so we made up a dance to kill time.”

Tang added, “We decided to enter the talent show to see if we could win something.” Phu nodded in agreement.

“You guys might win,” Ram said. 

“Yeah. I screamed my head off, “ Ting Ting said, agreeing with Ram. Tang and Phu looked at each other before looking back at their friends. Phu shrugged.

“We might have some heavy competition,” Tang admitted.

They all looked up to hear Dao announce the next performers.

“We have a really special treat today! I’m happy to present our favorite hazer, Bohn, and Nong Duen from the medical faculty!”

Ram, King, and their friends all looked up to see Bohn and Duen in their yellow shirts walk onto the stage. Duen waved at his friends with a big smile on his face.

“Figures they would be wearing Couple shirts. They are in it to win it,” King commented under his breath, as he shook his head. 

*******************

Bohn sat on one of the chairs on the stage holding one of the microphones while Duen got the other microphone and crouched behind him. Bohn leaned to the side to plug in his phone into the speaker and tapped his screen.

Some music started and Duen jumped out from behind Bohn to sing [You Like Me, I Like You by Nonny9 x Ponchet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkqZMFn0TIU).

**_I know you also like me_ **

**_Don’t be stubborn, please don’t do that_ **

**_I know it may not be suitable_ **

**_But I have to make it clear right now_ **

Bohn suddenly stood up and crossed his arms as Duen put his hand on his shoulder, then walked around him as he sang.

**_Do not pretend to not know, hurry to see my eyes_ **

**_Don’t be shy, let’s start the conversation_ **

**_I know you also like me_ **

**_I know you also like me_ **

Duen then stood behind Bohn and touched Bohn’s cheek as they danced together and Duen sang.

**_It’s so soft, your smile_ **

**_Which I have kissed and pinched your cheeks_ **

King and Ram watched Duen and Bohn ham it up as they danced and acted cute with each other. There were nonstop screams throughout their whole performance.

Bohn and Duen were doing a very good job flirting with each other and the audience. Duen ended his song with his arm around Bohn. Ram and King thought it was over, but then Bohn put his hand on Duen’s cheek, pushed him playfully, and Bohn started singing another song. 

King and Ram watched as their best friends continued to run around the stage with each other. Ram scrunched his face as he watched regretfully as Bohn rubbed his hand over his best friend’s chest while he sang. King winced when Bohn smiled happily as he and Duen leaned in so their foreheads touched while he sang. 

King and Ram glanced at each other's faces and then laughed at each other’s response to their best friends’ performance. Bohn and Duen were just too much.

Bohn and Duen wrapped up with them sitting next to each other on the chairs on stage. Bohn and Duen then stood up and encouraged the audience to cheer for them. King and Ram looked at their best friends unimpressed and each brought their hands up for a slow golf clap as the rest of their friends cheered wildly for Bohn and Duen. Ram and King realized that they had responded the same again and both giggled. They understood each other so much.

*******************

The next performance was a traditional Thai dance. As the group performed, King noticed Thara and Frong walk off as Nott and Pun stood up. 

“Where are you guys going? Aren’t you going to stay and watch the talent show?”, King asked.

“Yes, we’re going to watch. We’ll just be right back,” Nott said as Pun smiled at King and walked off.

Bohn and Duen passed by Thara, Frong, Nott, and Pun. They stopped briefly to say something to each other and then Bohn and Duen went through the crowd getting praise as they walked back to sit with their friends. 

“You guys were great and received a lot of applause,” Tee informed the couple.

Bohn and Duen smiled proudly and knew that they performed well.

“How was that?”, Duen asked Ram as he sat down. Ram nodded in acknowledgment.

While Ram and Duen talked, King turned back around to watch the dancers. He leaned over to Mek and Boss. 

“Did you do what I asked you to do?”, King asked the couple slyly while Ram was not paying attention to him.

“Of course! Your stuff is waiting for you near the right side of the stage,” Boss informed King.

“Thanks, guys!", King said appreciatively.

Ram noticed that King was talking to Mek and Boss. He touched King’s arm and looked at him questioningly. King looked at Ram and smiled innocently at him. 

“Cool Boy! Mek and Boss were going to go get some snacks. You want anything?”, King asked Ram. Ram thought about it and nodded. King turned back to his friends.

“Can you guys bring some snacks for us, too?”, King glanced at Mek and Boss, who got the hint.

“We’ll be back,” Mek said as he pulled Boss and walked off to go find some snacks. 

King turned back to Ram and was about to say something but was interrupted by Dao presenting the next performance.

“I am again very happy to announce our next performers and they have something really fun to perform for you. Let’s welcome Nott and Pun!”

“What!”, King exclaimed. Ram and the rest of their friends watched as Nott walked across to the other side of the stage and plugged his phone into the speaker and tapped the screen. Pun stayed on the other side of the stage. The crowd waited patiently for the music to start.

******************

Some upbeat music started and King recognized the music as [Too Cute To Handle by Off and Gun](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKcfah5Q10I). King laughed and shook his head. He turned to Ram.

“This song is so appropriate for those two,” King said to Ram.

Ram watched as Nott and Pun walked to the center of the stage to face each other before they started singing. Nott went first with his verse while they did the choreography.

Nott: **_Stop smiling or looking this way_ **

Pun **_: I’m losing my mind_ **

Nott: ****

**_My immunity to you is none_ **

**_Wow_ **

Pun then started to sing to Nott.

Pun: **_Stop flirting around or looking into my eyes_ **

Nott:: **_You specialize_ **

Pun: ****

**_In making my heart race_ **

**_Wow_ **

Nott and Pun then faced the audience and started getting the audience pumped up.

Pun: **_So what?_ **

Nott: **_You give me goodnight calls and I become vulnerable_ **

Pun: **_So what?_ **

Nott: **_Then you say you miss me...as a friend_ **

Pun: **_So what?_ **

Nott: **_My mind wanders afar. It takes me a while to process_ **

Pun: **_So what?_ **

Nott: **_You tell me not to fall for you. I doubt I can do that, too._ **

Ram, King, and their friends then watched as Nott and Pun got lined up, looking ready to do some heavy choreography and singing.

Nott and Pun sang and danced their hearts out.

Nott: **_For me to stop loving you, just stop being lovely first_ **

Pun: **_You’re too cute to handle, not loving you is impossible_ **

Nott: **_I’m already yours, you can’t pretend to ignore me_ **

Pun: **_You tell me not to take it seriously, but you secretly do_ **

Nott: **_A bit cuter than this and I’ll become your slave_ **

Pun:

**_The more I look at you, the cuter you get_ **

**_I’ll love you until my last breath_ **

King had to give them credit. Nott and Pun had memorized the lyrics and the choreography like the actual music video. They were really good and the audience was loving it. 

“Cool Boy! They might win it,” King stated. Ram nodded.

“They are really good,” Ram commented. Ram and King looked at Bohn and Duen. King laughed to himself because his best friend had a sour look on his face. Bohn was so competitive.

Mek and Boss finally came back with bags of chips and some juice for everyone. 

“Thanks!”, King said to his friends as he grabbed a snack for Ram. Ram took it happily.

“Thanks, P’Mek and P’Boss,” Ram said gratefully. He was hungry and opened up his bag of chips.

The rest of the friends thanked Mek and Boss also.

Boss and Mek sat down next to King as they watched Nott and Pun end their performance and sing the last line together before simultaneously throwing a kiss at the audience.

**_I’ll love you until my last breath_ **

As soon as they finished, the volunteers in the audience went wild with cheers, screams, and shouts of praise.

King and Ram and the rest of their friends, minus Bohn, clapped and cheered loudly for the couple. Nott and Pun dramatically bowed and left the stage to get back to the audience and watch the rest of the talent show.

************

Dao came up and tried to settle everyone down after Nott and Pun’s entertaining performance.

“Okay, everyone. Settle down! Thanks to Nott and Pun for a very entertaining performance! We have a few more people who want to perform for you, so let’s get them out here. Our next performance is one of our talented first-year engineering students, Kovit, who will be playing something for us on his ukulele.”

Kovit walked on stage with a baseball cap on, jeans, and a black button-down shirt. He carried with him a ukulele. He had a long cable and connected his ukulele to the speaker.

Nott and Pun sat down behind Ram and King. King turned around and whispered to them.

“Great job, guys!”, King praised his friends. The rest of their group congratulated the couple on a great performance.

Suddenly, Kovit started strumming his ukulele. A beautiful melody started to form with the touch of his fingers on the strings.

“Oh, I know this song!”, Ting Ting declared.

“It’s [A Thousand Years from Christina Perri](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH1KjYtyYbw), “ Tang said.

“I love that song,” Ting Ting said as she looked at Tang.

Everyone in the audience attempted to pay attention to the talented musician on stage.

Ram knew this song from one of the Twilight movies. He also liked the song. Since Kovit was playing an instrumental, Ram was trying to remember the words. Every time he heard that song, it made him think about a love that could withstand the test of time. Some of the words were about loving someone for a thousand years and loving someone for a thousand more. He looked at King.

King was touched by the melody of the song, too. The way Kovit played it and his ukulele being hooked up to the speaker made you feel the song throughout your body. He knew this song was from Twilight and that it was about finding your true love. He looked at Ram.

Ram brought his hand up to King’s hair and put his hand through some of the strands before his hand made it down to rub the back of King's neck. King laid his hand on Ram’s thigh and Ram put his other hand on top of King’s and intertwined their fingers. They looked into each other’s eyes. Ram and King thought about how they were now together and they couldn’t be happier. Ram squeezed King’s hand on his thigh and smiled at King. King smiled back before leaning in to kiss Ram on his cheek. They looked back at Kovit playing the end of the song and noticed that most of the audience was awestruck by Kovit’s performance, including their friends.

Bohn had his arm around Duen. Tang and Ting Ting were leaning towards each other whispering. Boss was leaning on Mek’s shoulder. Other couples were holding hands or kissing. He made the atmosphere more romantic for the audience. 

As soon as Kovit was done, the audience cheered loudly for him and he walked off the stage.

***********************

Dao praised Kovit’s performance and started to introduce the next performers. 

“Our next performers are not from the engineering faculty at all but they volunteered to plant trees with us. They also signed up for our talent show. We appreciate them! We have P’Thara and Frong here to sing a song for you!”

P’Thara walked on stage and plugged his phone into the speaker. He turned back around and noticed that Frong had not moved from his spot. Thara had to walk to Frong and pull him to the center of the stage. He gave a microphone to Frong before getting the other one for himself. Thara then smiled at Frong encouragingly before tapping his phone screen and joining Frong in the center of the stage.

Duen was talking to Ram about not knowing what his cousin, P’Thara, was going to sing because he had never heard him sing before. 

As King looked around, Ting Ting and Tang were looking at him. Ting Ting brought her arms up to question what he was doing because the talent show was almost over and he had not done anything yet. Ram was still talking to Duen and so he nodded his head to Ting Ting and Tang reassuredly before squeezing Ram’s hand, which was still intertwined with his. 

“Cool Boy, I need to use the restroom real quick. I’ll be right back,” King told Ram. Ram started to get up.

“Do you want me to go with you?”, Ram offered. King shook his head.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” King stated to put Ram at ease. Ram nodded and went back to paying attention to Thara and Frong. King walked to the back of the audience and around it to get to the stage.

**************

Ram and Duen watched the stage delighted to see Thara doing something he would not normally do. Thara and Frong stood next to each other holding the microphones. Thara looked confident and Frong looked like he wanted to run away. Then the first notes of the song they were going to sing started. Frong took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He opened his eyes as he sang and walked towards the front of the stage, trying to engage with the audience.

**_It’s strange but true_ **

**_These things shouldn’t happen to me_ **

**_It’s love that immediately occurred_ **

Frong moved to sit at the edge of the stage to sing to the audience. Duen leaned over to Ram, "This song is [Suddenly, I'm In Love by LowFat, Fymme, Ruj](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOO785tQ5lI)." Ram had heard it before from somewhere.

**_But however I looked at it_ **

**_You’re the one whom I’ve waited for_ **

Then, Thara walked to the other end of the stage and sang.

**_It’s strange but true_ **

**_Tell me everything is not a dream_ **

**_Tell me how you can do it_ **

As he sat down on the edge of the stage, Thara said the next line.

**_Chasing a person who once closed their heart off_ **

**_And make them easily fall in love with you_ **

Thara then looked at Frong who looked back at him as they sang together.

**_I’m telling you straight, since the day I met you_ **

**_Even though I didn’t know your name_ **

**_Inside my heart had given up_ **

**_Even though you never told me_ **

**_How you felt about me_ **

Thara and Frong then continued to sing passionately together.

**_It’s the first time that I’ve loved anyone without thinking_ **

**_It’s the first time that I haven’t cared if it’s right or wrong_ **

**_I can only continue loving you_ **

**_Because what I do, I can’t forbid myself_ **

Then, Thara closed his eyes and sang the next verse.

**_It’s the first time that I’ve loved anyone without thinking_ **

**_I don’t care if in the end things are right or wrong_ **

**_If you don’t know, it’s okay_ **

**_I just ask my heart to be able to show the truth inside that I have for you_ **

Then, Thara did a run that got Duen screaming.

“Wooohoooo!”, yelled Duen for his cousin.

“Oh my gosh! They are so good!”, Duen commented to Ram. Ram nodded.

Ram watched as Thara and Frong got up from the stage and met in the middle of the stage to sing together. Frong was more relaxed and was getting into it.

Ram listened to the words of the song and realized that they kind of reminded him of his relationship with King, like how he and King fell for each other and were so happy together. 

Did Ram love King? Ram knew he did and for a long time, too. He didn’t want to say the words yet because their relationship was so new, but he has been in love with King for months now. He hopes that he can express his love for King in his actions and their time together.

Thara and Frong continued to sing wonderfully together on stage. Ram thought about King. Did King love him? Ram hoped so. He felt it in all that King did for him. He didn’t expect King to say it out loud anytime soon, but he felt that King loved him, even if it was just a little bit. He knew that their love was like the plants that King took care of. Plants needed nutrients, water, sunlight, and tender loving care. If given what they needed, they would continue to grow and prosper. He knew him and King’s love would be just like a plant. It would be nurtured and would continue to grow.

As Thara and Frong finished up their song, Ram noticed that King hadn’t come back yet from the restroom.

“Where’s P’King?”, Ram asked himself as he looked around the audience and towards the restroom to see if he could find his boyfriend.

*******************

After King left Ram, he went behind the audience and around to the far end of the stage. He noticed Thara and Frong going up the stage as he got closer. He overheard them getting introduced next as he found a bag with a shirt in it hanging on a guitar standing against the stage. He brought the shirt and guitar behind the stage and made sure the coast was clear. 

King listened to Thara and Frong sing as he took off the shirt he was wearing and put on the black button-down shirt that was in the bag. He put the other shirt he was wearing in the bag and then started buttoning up his shirt. King decided to leave a few buttons open at the top to expose his chest a little. He then tucked his shirt into his pants. He then decided to run his hands through his hair to hopefully finish his look. He then picked up the guitar and pulled the guitar strap over his head to lay around his neck. He then started tuning up the guitar to prepare for his performance.

King cleared his throat and just started strumming his guitar and humming a little to ward off some of his nervousness. His test was to make Ram smile and do something special for him during the talent show. Ram also had that dream two nights ago about King singing and had requested for King to sing a song for him in real life. King was stoked that he was going to be able to fulfill both the test and Ram’s wish in one shot.

King was very thoughtful about things. After Ram had told him the account of his dream and how excited he was about the prospect of King singing a song for him, King had already made up his mind to sing a song to him during the talent show. While on his rounds last night before the campout on the lake, King had stopped by Dao’s tent and asked if he could sign up for the talent show. Dao, knowing her friend could sing, asked what he was thinking of doing. She looked at King as he mentioned he wanted to sing a particular song while playing his guitar. Dao had asked for him to sing last to close out the talent show because she suspected he would do a good job. He agreed.

Now that he and Ram’s relationship was public after Aranya’s social media post, he couldn’t deny their relationship and did not want to. He was happy with Ram and he was okay with people knowing that. King hoped that the song he chose to sing would express how much he felt for Ram.

He paused his thoughts to listen to Thara and Frong’s song. King thought the song lyrics were somewhat representative of King and Ram’s relationship. They sang about loving without thinking and not caring if it was right or wrong. Did King love Ram? Of course, he did. King has known that he had been in love with his Nong for months now. He just didn’t think anything would happen because it was a long shot that Ram would feel the same way despite their constant interactions with each other. King was okay with whatever relationship he had with Ram because he cared about him so much. He would have been happy if Ram was happy.

Now that he was in a relationship with Ram, he couldn’t be happier though. He was still sometimes shocked at the idea that Ram felt the same way he did. He felt so blessed to have Ram in his life and he wanted to do everything in his power to support and take care of him. He hoped that he could express in this song how special Ram was to him and how much it meant to him that Ram was in his life. 

Thara and Frong wrapped up their song and Dao walked up to King.

“Are you ready, King?”, Dao asked. King nodded. He grabbed the bag with his shirt in it and followed Dao to the stage. He put his bag on the edge of the stage to pick up later.

“You guys sang great!”, King complimented Thara and Frong as they walked off the stage. Frong noticed King with the guitar.

“Good luck!”, Frong said to King.

“Thanks”, King replied as he took a deep breath to wait for his introduction.

“It’s showtime!”, King said to pump himself up.

**********************

Ting Ting, Tang, and Phu moved closer to Ram when they realized that King was heading to the stage to perform. Ting Ting was excited about King singing. When she heard him on the bus and then realized there would be a talent show, the idea of King singing to Ram for his last test was something she had to do.

As Thara and Frong finished up their performance with applause and cheers, Tang noticed that Ram kept looking around. 

“Who are you looking for?”, Tang asked.

“P’King went to the restroom and hasn’t come back yet. Maybe his head is hurting and something happened. I think I should go find him,” Ram said as he started to get up.

Phu and Tang grabbed Ram to sit down.

“P’King probably got stopped by someone on the way back from the restroom. You know how people are often stopping him for advice or guidance,” Phu said to try to keep Ram from leaving and missing King’s performance.

Ram nodded because that would make sense. Ram decided to listen to part of the next performance before searching for his boyfriend.

***********************

Dao walked up onto the stage and announced the next performance.

“We have one last performance for you tonight. I am honored to introduce another one of our hazers who will be singing a special song for you all tonight. King come up here!”

As soon as Ram heard King’s name, Ram’s head quickly turned towards the stage. He noticed that King was wearing a different shirt, but was looking mighty fine in a black button-down shirt exposing his chest. His hair was a little disheveled but it made him look sexy. He also had a guitar around his neck. He hadn’t known that King could even play the guitar. 

“P’King looks good,” Ting Ting commented to Ram. Ram nodded and could not take his eyes off his boyfriend. Ting Ting, Tang, and Phu smiled as they watched Ram wait in anticipation of what King was going to do. 

King brought a chair to the center of the stage and one of the microphones on the portable stand so he could speak into it.

“Hi everyone. Before I get started, I want to thank Dao for allowing me to close out the talent show. I'm going to use the microphone because sometimes I cannot sit still in my chair and want to move around, so I'm going to try to project my voice,” King stated to the audience with a charming smile. Luckily, they were not in a huge space. King was pretty sure that people could still hear him without a microphone.

He looked out and searched for Ram and made eye contact with him. He smiled lovingly at Ram.

“I dedicate this song, [The Door, The Weather, and a Good Day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkYd5b4awcM), to a person that I am pretty sure is the love of my life, so I hope you will like it,” King expressed.

Ram felt like King was speaking only to him. He melted right there in front of his friends before King even sang a single note of his song. Ting Ting was all smiles as she was videotaping the whole performance and Ram’s reaction for prosperity's sake.

Ram watched as King slowly started strumming his guitar. He watched King close his eyes. King put all his feelings into the words he was about to sing. He then opened his eyes and looked out into the audience.

**_Look deep into my eyes_ **

**_And you may see what I’m trying to hide_ **

**_Though I never say it out_ **

**_It does not mean I do not care_ **

**_Just like a small tree in my heart_ **

**_It is growing day by day_ **

**_Do you realize it?_ **

**_But I am not certain if your heart speaks the same as mine_ **

**_Whenever I see leaves after leaves falling off the trees_ **

**_Can I pray for our love not to fall apart like that?_ **

Ram listened to the words and loved how the song talked about the tree, or King’s love, growing day by day. Ram felt the same way. Ram was determined not to let their love fall apart. King then looked sincerely into Ram’s eyes.

**_Because you are the good day my heart needs_ **

**_Because you are the only song my heart wants to sing_ **

**_Because our unforgettable memories_ **

**_Can never be replaced or fade away from our heart_ **

**_Because you are good fresh air in the morning_ **

**_Because you are the door that my heart reaches to_ **

**_Because you are the sun that shines_ **

**_And makes this man’s life valuable and meaningful_ **

Ram’s friends watched as the words hit Ram. Ram tried to keep himself from grinning ear to ear. Ram could not take how handsome King looked on stage and how lovely his voice was. Ram was astonished at how touching the words were and what they mean. King made it sound like Ram was his everything. It was a little embarrassing being King’s focus, but honestly, he felt like he and King were the only ones there, except when Ting Ting kept on commenting about how sweet King was being to Ram.

King looked around to the audience as he strummed the guitar.

**_I don’t know if you believe me_ **

**_If I say there is something connecting our hearts_ **

**_No matter how long we are apart_ **

**_We can reconnect at last_ **

King turned to smile at Ram thinking about how they were apart this morning and were able to be together after the waterfall. Ram thought the same thing. Ram knew that they would be apart sometimes, but they would always be able to reunite with each other. Things would always be okay when they are together.

**_Whenever I see leaves after leaves falling off the trees_ **

**_Can I pray for our love not to fall apart like that?_ **

All of a sudden, King stood up. He continued to sing while playing the guitar and walking off stage.

**_Because you are the good day my heart needs_ **

**_Because you are the only song my heart wants to sing_ **

**_Because our unforgettable memories_ **

**_Can never be replaced or fade away from our heart_ **

**_Because you are good fresh air in the morning_ **

**_Because you are the door that my heart reaches to_ **

**_Because you are the sun that shines_ **

**_And makes this man’s life valuable and meaningful_ **

Ram craned his neck as he followed King with his eyes. King serenaded and walked past the far side of the audience to the back. King continues to play his guitar riff as he walked along the back of the audience and then turned to walk down the main aisle. Ram and King’s friends were smiling widely as they noticed King going towards them. Ram watched as King made his way to stand in front of Ram. King tilted his head and smiled warmly at Ram before getting on one knee right in front of him to sing the rest of the song. 

**_Because you are the good day my heart needs_ **

**_Because you are the only song my heart wants to sing_ **

**_Because our unforgettable memories_ **

**_Can never be replaced or fade away from our heart_ **

King and Ram could not take their eyes off of each other. Ram shifted so he was completely facing King while he was kneeling in front of him. Ram wasn’t sure if his heart was going to burst or if he would start crying because he was so touched by the love he felt from King. Ram was so happy that he had a huge smile on his face as King continued to sing to him. 

King wasn’t sure if he could contain his feelings either. He almost wanted to cry because of how much the words signified perfectly how he felt about Ram. He could see in Ram’s eyes the love Ram felt for him. He smiled happily back at Ram as he sang the last verses of the song. 

**_Because you are good fresh air in the morning_ **

**_Because you are the door that my heart reaches to_ **

**_Because you are the sun that shines_ **

**_And makes this man’s life valuable and meaningful_ **

As he sang, he and Ram continued to lean in closer to each other, oblivious to the people around them. Ram and King’s friends watched amusedly at the couple. Ting Ting had a front-row seat and was still filming the whole thing. King continued to sing to Ram. 

**_It is destined to happen this way_ **

**_It is destined to happen this way_ **

King put his heart into the last two verses, expressing to Ram how they were destined to be together. He strummed the last few notes and ended the song. Cheers and applause were heard throughout the camp.

**********************

King and Ram were both teary-eyed and smiled at each other. 

King leaned forward and whispered into Ram’s ear, “You do know I love you right, Cool Boy?” He leaned his head back to look into Ram’s eyes.

“I love you, too,” Ram said softly and smiled at King.

Ram surprised King by grabbing the back of King’s neck to pull him forward for a passionate kiss. Cheers and hollers surrounded the couple. Ram and King smiled into the kiss finally realizing they weren’t alone. They pulled away from each other, but not before King got one last Eskimo kiss in. They both giggled as their noses rubbed together. It didn’t matter that they were in public. King looked at Ram and Ram looked at King. Both were so happy to finally express their love for each other. 

King took the guitar from around his neck and put it next to him as he sat down next to Ram. Their friends all praised King on his singing and gave him kudos for being so romantic. 

Ram noticed how Ting Ting, Tang, Phu, and Duen gave King a thumbs up.

“Was that your test?”, Ram asked. 

“It was, but I had already planned to sing to you before they told me about it,” King said as he grabbed Ram’s hand and kissed the back of it. 

“Thank you, P’King. You were amazing. I loved it!”, Ram expressed to King. 

“Anything for you, Cool Boy!”, as he pushed his shoulder into Ram’s. Ram smiled, content with King. They both were interrupted by Dao. 

“Thank you, King, for a lovely rendition of The Door, The Air, and A Good Day by Krist Perawat. It was so sweet! Anyway, those were all our performances. Now it is your job to vote for a winner. Can we have all the performers come back up to the stage so we could figure out who that will be?

Most of their group stood up. Nott, Pun, Thara, Frong, Bohn, Duen, Phu, and Tang all headed to the stage. King kissed Ram on the cheek before getting up. Ram grabbed his hand before he walked off. King looked down at Ram.

“Even if you don’t win, you will always be a winner to me,” Ram told King. 

“Thanks, Cool Boy! I already have the prize I want anyway”, King informed Ram and winked at him before walking towards the stage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I was able to write what I was imagining in my head for the talent show. 
> 
> Credit is given to the various songs and youtube videos. English translation for the Thai songs was based on the videos. I couldn't figure out the name and artist for the song that Bohn sang, so that is why no credit was given. I know there were a lot of Krist/Singto songs, but they are also my other favorite BL couple and have been around a lot longer.
> 
> The song that Duen sang was also covered by Saint/Zee (Tutor/Fighter) from Why R U at one of their fan meetings (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InEs7OeIQ9Q). I actually got the English translation off of one of the Zee/Saint videos.
> 
> I honestly felt like Nott/Pun could pull off covering Off and Gun's music video because they are just as goofy as them.
> 
> If you look closely at the video of the song Thara and Frong covered, Suddenly, MD, who plays Thara, was actually the main character of the music video that was embedded in the text. I actually adapted one of Krist/Singto performances from a fan meeting for the fic where Thara was Krist and Frong was Singto (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TosmcBHWqmQ) My favorite cover of this song is the Krist/Singto cover during one of their other fan meetings (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGWPuKzdDQU&t=137s). Jimmy and Tommy (Saifah/Zon) also covered the same song in Why R U. 
> 
> I have decided to do something interactive for a change. Who should win the talent show? I will write who won based on the majority vote from my readers.
> 
> Thank you for being patient with me and hope you liked the last test! 
> 
> Take care!


	33. Making the Rounds and Tent Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ram, King, and friends find out who wins the Talent Show. King makes his rounds. King and Ram have a little talk in their tent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi All. I have to be honest. I've been feeling a bit discouraged lately with getting chapters out. I don't know if the storyline is starting to suck or if I just suck as a writer, or if it's just this part of the story I'm trying to finish and move on from. I had a plan to actually continue writing past the final episode because I feel like I have a lot more Ram and King story to tell. I think I'm just in some sort of way right now. I apologize for the delay in this chapter. This was part of a larger chapter that I'm still working on so it may be a bit of a filler. It's shorter than my chapters have been lately, but I just wanted to get something posted to you all. Here it is!

King caught up with the rest of his and Ram’s friends. He stood behind Dao next to Thara and Frong at the far end of the stage. He honestly did not care if he won or not. He was just happy that he was able to make Ram smile. He lived to break that stoic facade that was often found on Ram’s face.

“Now that we have all our talented performers on stage, let’s figure out who gets the grand prize, a Thai Massage and Spa Package for two!", Dao announced.

Ram looked up at his friends, King’s friends, and King. All of their performances were so good. Ram, of course, thought King should win, but he knew he was biased because King’s performance was meant for him. He really thought King had picked the right song to sing. It really expressed how much their love for each other was like a tree and how it kept growing with all they were doing to nurture their relationship.

King and Ram really didn’t need more things to do together since they received so many gifts from their friends at the first test. Ram did consider that going to get a massage and having a spa day would be a nice getaway from all the family stress. That was also assuming that King would take Ram to the spa. Ram thought there could be a slight possibility that King may want to use the package with Bohn or one of his other friends.

Dao started going down the line to determine how loud the applause was for each performer. She started with the Shakespearian couple and the guy who sang Bruno Mars with his piano application. They both were pretty even in applause. When Dao got to Phu and Tang, they got a whole bunch of applause, so the first two acts were asked to sit down. Bohn and Duen were next with a lot of screams, so they stayed on stage. The traditional Thai dancers were next but did not get enough to beat Phu and Tang or Bohn and Duen, so they were pulled from the running.

Nott and Pun were next in line and got a large round of applause. The guy who played the ukulele was next and got a lot of applause but not enough to beat the other performers and sat down. Thara and Frong and King both got a lot of applause and were left on the stage.

“Wow! We have some talented friends!”, Tee exclaimed as the friends in the audience were staring at all their friends as finalists.

“We are going to go through all 5 performances and whoever has the loudest applause will win”, Dao announced.

When Dao requested applause for Phu and Tang, Ting Ting and Ram yelled as loud as possible for them. When it was Bohn and Duen’s turn, Ram applauded with less enthusiasm but Bohn’s fan club was screaming loudly and kept them in the running. Nott and Pun also got a lot of screams from their group and their other friends. Because Thara and Frong were from other faculties, they didn’t get as much applause.

When they got to King, King gave a dazzling smile that blew everyone away, including Ram. Ram cheered for King as loudly as possible and so did a bunch of the audience and all their friends on the stage.

“Well, based on the amount of applause received, our winner is King! Congratulations!”, Dao announced as she gave King an envelope with the massage and spa package information. King was surprised but took the prize. All of his friends patted him on the back and congratulated him for winning the performance.

“Thank you to everyone who performed for the talent show! Before leaving, we have an announcement for you,” Dao informed the volunteers before handing a microphone to Tee, who had walked up quickly before the talent show ended.

“Okay, everyone, thank you all for participating in the tree planting and recognizing the importance of conservation. We will be leaving tomorrow promptly at 10 am, so please make sure you get to the bus with all of your belongings by 9:30 am. Have a great night!”, Tee announced.

******************

The group of friends chatted as they walked back to the meeting area. King caught up to Ram and grabbed his arm to pull him up.

“Cool Boy, aren’t you proud of me for winning? I worked so hard!”, King shared with Ram. Ram nodded then gave him a questioning look.

“Who am I going to take with me? Why you, of course!”, King informed Ram as he leaned his shoulder to push against Ram’s shoulder. King looked at Ram with a charming smile on his face. Ram couldn’t resist and smiled back.

“Will you come with me on a spa date? Maybe it could get your mind off of your family stuff?”, King asked. Ram nodded in agreement. King totally read his mind.

********************

As the group of friends and the rest of the audience dispersed back to their tents, Ram and King walked side by side, but both lost in thought.

Ram and King were starting to realize that they only had one more night together before they would have to part ways in the morning.

King loved his grandmother. She was the world to him. When his sister would nag him about playing with dolls or doing girly things with her, his grandmother would intervene and ask him to help her with her plants. It became a cherished pastime for him and led him to his love of plants.

This visit to his grandmother’s house was one he currently had mixed feelings about. Although he has not seen his grandmother for some time and would love to spend time with her, he was worried about how Ram was going to handle the dinner with his family tomorrow. He couldn’t fathom what they were going to talk to Ram about.

Ram was having his own mixed feelings about tomorrow. He was happy that King was going to visit his grandmother based on how much he had talked about her and her influence on his love of plants. Yet, he also wished that King would come with him to his family dinner. It was not like Ram couldn’t handle the dinner on his own, but King’s support would likely help him a little bit more. There was nothing he could do about it though so he was determined to get through the dinner and get out of there as quickly as possible.

King and Ram got to their tent and went inside. King zipped up the tent and then looked at Ram.

“Are you okay?”, King asked. Ram nodded.

King grabbed Ram from behind and laid him down so he could look into his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”, King asked. Ram looked up into King’s face and put his fingers through King’s hair.

“I’m just thinking about you going to your grandmother’s and having to go to the family dinner tomorrow night,” Ram admitted and sighed. King grabbed Ram’s face.

“You do know that if something goes down and you need me, you can call me while I’m at my grandmother’s? Well, can you just call me anyway?”, King inquired. Ram nodded.

“I will. I just don’t want you to worry. I’ll deal with it and figure things out,” Ram stated.

“I know you will deal with it. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to deal with it alone,” King informed Ram. Ram nodded.

“Thanks,” Ram said as he pulled King’s forehead to his and closed his eyes. King did the same. King loved the closeness he has with Ram but realized there were still things that had to be done tonight.

King rubbed his nose against Ram’s and then pecked his lips before sitting up.

“Cool Boy, before we get settled for the night, would you like to accompany me on my rounds?”, King asked with his eyebrows raised, as he showed Ram his clipboard and roster.

**********************

King walked with efficiency as Ram followed him going from tent to tent, making sure the volunteers were accounted for. Ram noticed that everybody knew King. King would go up to a tent and announce he was there and then someone would open the tent to greet him. Most were friendly and cooperative. Others were whining about him having to stop by to check on them. There were a few groups that Ram felt were overly friendly.

King had gone up to a tent that sounded like there were a bunch of girls in it. Ram stood a few feet away from King as he announced himself. The girls, who were a bit tipsy, drinking beer, and wearing skimpy clothes, welcomed King.

“P’King! You were so good tonight! Your voice was so sexy. I wish you had sung to me!”, One girl said.

Another girl grabbed onto King’s arm and said, “ P’King, would you like to come inside for a drink? We need a handsome guy like you to join us.” King nicely removed the girl’s hand from his arm. He then put his empty hand up to stop them.

“Girls, I’m sure you are fully aware that I’m taken. My boyfriend is right there,” King said as he nodded his head towards Ram as he checked the 5 girls’ names off on his clipboard. The girls all looked at Ram.

“Nong, you and P’King are more than welcome to join us for a drink. We can make it worth your while,” Another girl said as she bent over to show some cleavage. The other girls nodded in agreement. Ram shook his head.

“Sorry, girls! I got a lot more tents to check and we have plans for later! Thanks for the offer but we only have eyes for each other. Take care!”, King said as he grabbed Ram and moved towards the next tent. Ram looked at King while they walked.

“Do you get hit on often?”, Ram asked. King shrugged.

“Sometimes, but you don’t have to worry about it. I think that people are starting to get the hint that I’m only into a very handsome Cool Boy named Ram,” King said as he winked at Ram and walked off to the next tent.

******************

King was almost done with his rounds. They only had to stop by a few tents close to their own tent.

King went up to a tent where they heard someone singing a song. King announced himself.

“Hey, Nott and Pun! It’s King. Are you guys in there?”

Nott unzipped his tent and poked his head out.

“Oh, King. Doing your rounds? Pun and I are here relaxing,” Nott answered and looked out to see Ram standing a few feet behind King.

“Oh, Nong Ram, are you doing the rounds with King?”, Nott asked. Ram answered with a nod. Pun stuck his head out of the tent next to Nott’s.

“Watch his back, Nong! There are always people trying to flirt with him when he doesn't realize it. King could be so clueless!”, Pun stated.

“What are you guys talking about? You guys are being silly. Anyway, you guys are accounted for. Have a good night!!”, King said as he walked away. Ram rushed to catch up with King.

“People are hitting on you and flirting with you?”, Ram asked curiously. King shook his head.

“No. Pun is exaggerating. Nobody is flirting with me,” King stated.

They stopped at a tent with two guys in it.

“Oh, P’King, How are you? What a great song you sang today!”, the volunteer said.

“Thanks! Have a good night”, King stated as he crossed their names out and started to leave.

“P’King, hold on,” said the other guy in the tent. He walked out to stand in front of King.

“I’m taking Physics next semester and it’s not really my strong suit. I was wondering if you could tutor me over dinner when school starts back up,” the other guy asked King and then looked at him hopefully. Ram noticed and was not amused. King was focused on his clipboard and didn’t even lift his head.

“Well, I’ll have to check my schedule and Hazer responsibilities and get back to you. Physics is not a terrible class. I’ll go see if I have any of my old notes to share with you,” King responded. The guy was overjoyed by King’s response.

“Thanks, P’King! I look forward to it,” the guy said with a huge smile on his face as he scanned King’s body from head to toe.

Ram looked at King who was focused on his clipboard. Ram cleared his throat. King looked up questioningly.

“Did you notice that guy was flirting with you?”, Ram asked.

“Which guy? None of those guys were flirting with me, “ King stated. Ram looked at King confusedly.

“That guy just asked you out to dinner,” Ram pointed out.

“No, he didn’t. He asked me to tutor him,” King said.

“Yeah, over dinner. He actually had the nerve to ask you out while I was standing right there,” Ram said. King looked at Ram with a serious expression on his face.

“I didn’t notice,” King admitted. Ram pouted.

“Okay, I think P’Pun is right. You are totally clueless. What am I going to do with you?”, Ram said. King shrugged. He leaned closer to Ram so he could hear.

“You know what you can do to me…”, King mumbled under his breath. Ram responded by looking at King intensely. Before Ram could say anything, they got to another tent. Someone was talking non-stop.

King announced himself and Thara opened up the tent.

Frong waved at King and Ram from inside.

“Oh, hi Nong King! Frong and I are accounted for. We were just chatting about Cupcake’s bath and sunbathing schedule,” Thara said happily as he showed King and Ram Cupcake. Ram walked up to the tent and looked at the lizard.

“Do you both want to come in to watch Cupcake take his bath?”, Thara asked.

Thara and King looked into the tent. Frong had a small dish of water in front of him and Cupcake was standing in the water watching Frong.

“Cupcake has been quite fascinated with Nong Frong. I think he may have a bit of a crush on him,” Thara pointed out. Frong started to turn a little red in embarrassment. Ram and King looked at each other before King spoke up.

“Sorry, P’Thara. We have to finish up doing rounds. Have fun though!”, King said as he and Ram stood up and waved goodbye.

“Thanks for stopping by,” Thara said as King and Ram went towards their own tent.

They stopped by the rest of their friends' tents and King checked everyone off before heading over to Tee’s tent and dropping the clipboard and roster.

King and Ram walked hand in hand a few tents down to their own tent. King unzipped it and allowed Ram to go in before stepping into the tent himself.

*********************

Ram sat down and started looking around the tent. He and King’s personal effects were all over it. A slight smile spread across his face. They were not supposed to be sleeping in the same tent initially, but fate wanted them together. King's and Ram’s belongings were easily mixed up with each other. Ram and King’s bags laid side by side on one side of the tent. Their clothes were mixed up in a dirty pile. It felt very domestic. Ram kind of liked his stuff being mixed with King’s. It made their relationship more real. Ram grabbed his bag and dumped the stuff out to organize it since they will be leaving tomorrow morning.

King, noticing his and Ram’s mixed up belongings, followed Ram’s action and dumped things out of his bag. They were surrounded by clothes, toiletries, and other items. He hadn’t realized that some of Ram’s belongings had gotten into his bag.

Ram gave King his shampoo and conditioner that was in his pile of stuff. King gave Ram his towel that was in his bag. King picked up the dice from the dice game they played last night. He looked at them and remembered he needed to return them to the owner.

“We need to get our own set of dice,” Ram commented, noticing King with the dice.

“Noted," King said and started wiggling his eyebrows up and down. Ram and King giggled and continued going through their stuff.

Ram started separating their dirty clothes and putting them in plastic bags. He gave one to King and put the other one in his bag.

King found Ram’s lube and condoms. He handed them over to Ram shyly.

Ram put them where they could be easily accessible. Ram didn’t know what the night had in store for them, but he was prepared nonetheless. Ram did not think that they were ready to fully have sex. He kind of had an idea of what to do, but he did not feel comfortable with them doing it in a tent and being close to other people.

“I feel the same way, you know?”, King said as he looked at Ram. Ram raised one of his eyebrows. King sat in front of him.

“I want to eventually become more intimate with you. I want us to be able to have sex one day, but I don’t know about our first time being in a tent at camp with our friends a few tents away. It just doesn’t feel right. I want our first time to be special, you know?”, King stated. Ram nodded and completely agreed. They both leaned in and kissed each other on the lips.

“I am not opposed to doing other stuff though,” King said with a smirk. Ram tackled him and stuck his tongue in King’s mouth.

**************

After their brief break to make out, Ram and King continued to put their stuff away. They had a few little items on the bottom of their tent.

King noticed the terrarium keychain that Ram had given him at the rest stop. King hadn’t had time to look at it at the time. He brought the keychain to eye level. The small reddish succulent was so cute. Ram noticed King looking at the keychain he bought for him.

He scooted next to King and put one arm around his waist as he put his chin on King’s shoulder.

“You like it?”, Ram asked.

“I love it!”, King said as King kissed Ram’s cheek with his nose.

“It was so you. I had to get it for you,” Ram informed King.

“Thank you,” King said, touched by the thoughtfulness of the gift. If King could bring his plants with him wherever he went, he would, but that is just not realistic. At least the key chain terrarium gave him a plant that he could carry with him all the time. King grabbed his keys and attached the key chain to his key ring.

“Every time I touch that key chain or look at it, it will remind me that I have a special someone, you, in my life,” King said sincerely to Ram. King leaned forward and rubbed his nose against Ram’s. Ram rubbed his nose against King’s. They both leaned back to look at each other.

Ram looked at King for a few seconds before he leaned forward, put his hand on King’s neck, and captured King’s lips with his. Their kiss was slow and passionate. King and Ram’s love for each other poured through it. King’s tongue swiped the bottom of Ram’s lips before slipping into Ram’s mouth. Ram lifted King and turned him around so that they were chest to chest. Ram had King sitting on his lap, his legs wrapped around Ram’s body, their crotches barely touching each other. King wrapped his arms around Ram’s head as they continued to kiss each other hungrily. Ram moved his warm hands under King’s shirt. He rubbed his hands along King’s lower back up towards his shoulder blades. Ram’s touch caused King to arch his back and bring their crotches together. Ram moved his hands down to King’s ass to keep King’s crotch deliciously rubbing onto his. Ram moved from King’s lips, down his jaw, and then started sucking and nipping at King’s neck eliciting a strangled moan from King.

They then heard a slapping of their tent from the outside. Ram and King froze.

“Hey, King and Nong Ram! Are you guys presentable?”, Tee shouted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for continuing to read this fic. I'm hoping I can get the rest out to you soon.
> 
> Take care!


	34. Cards and Other Drunken Activities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ram and King are interrupted by Tee. They ended up playing cards with their friends. King ends up drunk and spouts off stuff that he doesn't really mean. Ram and King clear the air afterward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! 
> 
> Here's another chapter. This chapter includes scenes from Episode 14. Please forgive me for any mistakes/typos. 
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains mature content. Please read at your own risk.

King, realizing he was still on top of Ram, scrambled off of him and tried to make himself look like he was not just making out with his junior. Ram, who had been completely turned on, looked away from the entrance and pretended he was trying to pack up stuff in his bag. He did not want to embarrass himself in front of his senior. King unzipped the tent.

“What’s up, Tee?”, King asked.

“Come out! Let’s play cards!”, Tee urged King.

“Aren’t you tired? We are all leaving early tomorrow," King responded as he looked back at Ram.

“Come on, King and Nong Ram! This is the last night we are all together! I already got Mek and Boss to come out”, Tee begged.

King looked at Ram to figure out what to do. Ram had calmed himself down and knew that, if their friends wanted them to play, they were going to end up playing. Ram turned to look back at King and shrugged his shoulders.

“Okay, we’re coming. Let’s go, Cool Boy!”, King said begrudgingly. He and Ram exited their tent to walk alongside Tee.

************

Tee had set up a table outside of the tents with a lantern, food, and a deck of cards. Tee was sitting next to King on one side of the table. Next to King was Mek at the head of the table, then Boss and Ram were on the other side of the table across from King and Tee.

“What’s it for today then?”, Boss asked.

“What you got there?”, King asked as they were watching Tee shuffle cards.

“I am here,” Ting Ting exclaimed as she was walking towards their table with Phu and Tang.

“Come quick,” Boss said.

“Hello!”, Ting Ting said. She looked around the table.

“Where are P’Bohn and Duen?”, she asked. Tee shook his head.

“Those two have changed my camping trip to a honeymoon trip already,” Tee declared as he was holding the cards.

“Sit down first. Sit down here in a circle,” Tee gestured for the nongs to sit down with the rest of them at the table.

As Ting Ting sat down, she shared, ”Do you know that I had bought a whole bag of coins tonight? I can play with you forever, ever, and ever!”

“We are not playing with money this time. We are playing with this!”, Tee stated as he brought out a bottle of alcohol and caused the group to respond with awe. Everyone stared at the bottle.

“What’s this?”, Ting Ting asked.

“It’s my family’s secret recipe. This whiskey is smooth and nice, but the kick is strong later,” Tee informed the group. The nongs looked at it uneasily.

“If you guys are scared, you can leave now,” Tee told them.

“Then, I should leave first,” Phu said as he started to get up.

“Wait a minute!”, the group exclaimed, wanting Phu to stay. Phu sat back down.

“Okay, Okay,” Phu responded.

“You all ready?”, Tee asked everyone.

“We are ready!”, Ting Ting responded enthusiastically.

Tee shuffled the cards, then they played a game called Pok Deng for a couple of rounds. The losers had to drink shots of the whiskey.

Unknown to his seniors, Ram was actually very good at cards. A lot of different people hung out at boxing gyms, including gamblers. Sometimes, when he would wait around to get into the boxing ring, people would be playing cards and would ask him to join. He became pretty proficient.

On the other hand, King sucked at playing cards. Despite King knowing how to play different card games and having played plenty of cards with his friends on many occasions, King never played well. King was a social butterfly and would get caught up in the conversation versus paying attention to his hand. It often landed him very poor or very drunk. So was the case currently.

At some point, most of the group had their heads down on the table, including King. The only ones who seemed to be sober were Mek, Ram, and Tee. The three were now playing Poker.

“Don’t worry! You will all lose for sure. Because I got a straight,” Tee revealed while looking at his cards. Phu’s head was down with one arm on the table. Ting Ting was leaning on her arm with unfinished snacks sticking out of her mouth, and Tang had his left hand on her shoulder. They were all out of it. Tee threw down his cards.

“5, 6, 7!”, Tee cried out. Ram looked at him and laid down his cards. Mek clapped his hands together in surprise as he saw what Ram’s hand was.

“My God! You got a 4 of a kind!”, Tee declared in shock. Ram gave him a small smile.

“Fine! I will drink!”, Tee uttered. Tee filled up his shot glass and was about to drink when Ting Ting’s arm stopped him.

“Don’t stop me!”, Tee stated.

“P’Tee…”, Ting Ting said.

“What?”, Tee asked.

“You don’t have to drink,” Ting Ting said as she touched her hand to her forehead then to Tee’s forehead.

“Your status is my senior. You are our senior…,” Ting Ting stated as she got up.

“Let me drink this for you”, she continued.

“Yes, this is respecting me,” Tee stated. Ting Ting got up and tapped her finger on Tee.

“You should remember this. Remember it in your brain. This is respect. You should remember that Ting drank this for you,” Ting Ting reiterated drunkenly.

“Very good!”, Tee commended Ting Ting.

“Bottom’s up,” Ting Ting said.

“Drink it,” Tee commanded as Ting Ting drank everything from the glass. Mek and Ram looked on with disbelief.

“You are good. This is my sweet junior,” Tee praised Ting Ting as she passed out onto the table. Tang noticed Ting Ting’s state.

“I think you are drunk. Let’s go back!”, Tang said. Tang, Ting Ting, and Phu started to get up from the table.

“See you”, Phu said to Tee.

Tang and Phu got up and started lifting Ting Ting.

“I’ll take you back,” Tang said.

“No, I want to stay,” Ting Ting argued as Phu and Tang dragged her back to her tent.

Mek also stood up and grabbed onto Boss to bring him back to their tent.

Ram crawled over to King as Tee was putting the cards away. Ram put his hand on King’s shoulder.

“Don’t touch me. I want to sleep here,” King stated belligerently. Ram looked at King and rubbed his shoulder. King looked up.

“I told you to leave me alone,” King said as he pushed Ram away and put his head down on top of his arm. Ram looked at King surprised and a bit hurt. Ram looked at Tee then back at King.

He gently grabbed King’s arm, put it around his neck, and lifted King to stand. He then walked King back to their tent. Tee watched them leave as he drank another glass of whiskey alone.

********************

Ram carried King over to their tent and brought him inside. As soon as they were inside the tent, King expressed his upset.

“Let go! I told you to let go!”, King demanded as he pulled himself out of Ram’s arms. Ram was trying to help King sit up.

“I said not to bother me,” King again demanded as he pushed Ram away. King was trying to calm down as he looked up at Ram. Ram looked worriedly at King.

“Why?”, Ram asked hesitantly.

“There is no why. You can leave now,” King yelled at Ram. Ram tried to remain calm since King was drunk. Had King completely forgotten that Ram had been staying in the same tent with him since the first day they arrived at the camp? Had he forgotten that they have actually slept next to each other every night for almost a week?

“No. I won’t leave until you tell me why,” Ram insisted. He did not know why King was pushing him away when he knew they cared for each other.

“I told you to leave. You annoy me,” King said as he pushed Ram. Ram was taken aback by what King said. He really hoped that what King said was not true.

“Get out!”, King demanded.

“Why?”, Ram asked. King pondered and thought about that day when he took a risk and put that purple flower behind Ram’s ear. He remembered how Ram looked into his eyes and how he could not look away. That was the day that Ram disclosed that the one person who understood him was King. He remembered that first night he slept over Ram’s house and comforted Ram when he found out about his dad and Pin. He remembered when he found the venus flytrap in Ram’s room and how it grew under Ram's care. He remembered how touched he was when Ram admitted the venus flytrap King gave him was important to him. King remembered the flower crown Ram made for him and how cute they looked in the picture Ting Ting took. He then remembered the test yesterday and how they had to be apart. He felt so unhappy to be so close to Ram, yet not be able to interact with him at all. King came back to reality and looked at Ram.

“It tortures me…,” King admitted. Ram was about to say something but King continued.

“I feel tortured you know?”, King said. Ram looked sadly at King.

“Because of me?”, Ram asked. King glanced at Ram and how sad he looked. He did not like this look on Ram at all. He didn’t know what he was doing right now.

“Yes,” King responded. Ram started feeling bad. He wasn’t sure if King was telling him the truth about how he felt. Ram did not know what he was doing that was making King feel so tortured. King brought his left hand up to put his hand through his hair in frustration. Being so close to Ram was making him feel all types of ways.

“Because you make me feel good. That’s why it’s torturing me,” King informed Ram. Ram looked back at King with a devastated look on his face. King could not take Ram’s puppy dog eyes.

“Do you know how hard I have to hold back myself every time I am near you?”, King asked. Ram continued to stare at King. What? Ram was not sure what King meant by his statement.

“It tortures me, you know? That’s why I want you to be far away from me so I don’t have to feel all the pain inside,” King said.

Ram knew that King wasn’t himself. King continued to act angry and upset, which was nothing like his King. Ram was thinking that maybe King had forgotten that he didn’t have to be far away from Ram and didn’t have to feel any pain inside when he was near him. Ram would do anything to take away King’s pain.

“That’s the reason I told you now. You happy? Are you happy?”, King continued as he pushed Ram hard across the tent. King had not meant to push Ram that hard, but he was having a difficult time. The more he was close to Ram, the more he wanted to touch, kiss, suck, lick, and do so many other things to Ram. His body wanted to be close to Ram’s body. He felt like he had no control over his own body and the only way to do so would be to keep Ram away. Ram got back up to face King.

King looked at Ram. He couldn’t deal with the torture anymore. His body’s carnal desires demanded him to not be separated from Ram. He wanted to be with Ram now. He lunged forward, grabbed Ram’s neck, and kissed him full on the lips.

Flashbacks from their bus ride, riding the bike, sleeping next to each other in the tent, and the night Ram slept with him after his head injury popped into his head. His mind cleared when Ram grabbed his face with his hands and kissed him back. The kiss ended, but then they leaned forward to allow their foreheads to touch. Ram rubbed King’s face with his thumbs before going in for another kiss.

Ram figured that he could put his love for King into the kiss and possibly help King remember that he didn’t have to feel tortured around him. King could ask anything of Ram and Ram would likely provide it for him. If King wanted to be closer to Ram, Ram was happy to oblige. He liked being close to King, too.

The longer they kissed, the more King wanted all of Ram. King could feel the heat spread down his chest, to his stomach, and his loins. His body was feeling like he was on fire.

King was starting to sober up and wondered what the heck he was talking about.

Ram ended their kiss but kept his hands on King’s face. Ram spoke up, “P’King, are you feeling better now?”

King nodded. King realized that he disclosed how hard it was for him to hold back around Ram. When King started to pursue Ram, he wasn’t fully aware of why he wanted to be around his junior so much. Ram just fascinated him. He also just felt happy being with him, however close. As time went on, King found that he was also very much attracted to Ram. When King and Ram became official and King was allowed to touch Ram and vice versa, King could not get enough. It was like the floodgates were open. It was hard not to touch Ram, hug Ram, or kiss Ram when he was accessible to King.

“I think that all the stuff I said was because I am drunk,” King confessed.

“Do I really annoy you?”, Ram asked sadly.

“Of course not. You’re not annoying at all. Why would I want to be with you so much if you were annoying?”, King said to Ram reassuringly. He grabbed Ram’s hand and squeezed it. He hadn’t meant what he said.

“Do I really torture you? Do you really have to hold back when you are near me? You know you don’t have to. I’ll give you whatever you want and need”, Ram said seriously, then wiggled his eyebrows.

“Okay, okay. I really don’t know why I said you torture me when you obviously don’t,” King confessed as he leaned in to hug Ram and nuzzled his neck.

“Maybe you just want to be with me all the time. There is nothing wrong with that. I feel the same way. It is kind of hard not to touch you or kiss you when you are near me. As much as I make you feel good, you make me feel good also,” Ram said. King leaned back out of the hug to look at Ram and blinked. King was amazed at how he and Ram were connected on so many levels. Ram looked at King curiously. Ram looked so adorable to King.

King leaned forward and grabbed Ram’s neck before attacking Ram’s mouth. Ram grabbed King so they were flush against each other, chest to chest, abs to abs, crotch to crotch. Ram kissed along King’s jaw, down his neck, and up to his ears. Ram nibbled on King’s earlobe before sucking the spot behind King’s ear. King couldn’t take it anymore and pushed Ram away a little bit.

“I’m hot,” King informed Ram before he took off his shirt. Ram stared at his boyfriend’s chest and then realized that King may still be drunk.

“P’King, please put your shirt back on. You are going to get sick,” Ram suggested.

“You know you are hot, too. Take off your sweatshirt,” King said as he grabbed Ram’s sweatshirt and shirt in one swoop and lifted them above his head. Ram was torn. He didn’t want to take advantage of King when he was drunk, but he was getting turned on by their make-out session and King’s demands. He wanted King, too. He wasn’t sure what to do, especially when King suddenly had his mouth on his neck and was rubbing his hands all over Ram’s body.

King looked up at Ram and made eye contact with him to make sure it was okay to proceed further. Ram nodded, unable to deny King. King then started mapping a course along all of Ram’s tattoos. He kissed and nibbled along Ram’s neck until he got to Ram’s dreamcatcher tattoo. Ram’s head was leaned to the side to allow King more access as King continued to lick and suck the tattoo, making Ram squirm. He then trailed a line of kisses down to Ram’s left arm, nibbling, kissing, and licking the wave and turtle tattoo. Everything that King was doing was making Ram feel good all over his body.

King then licked a line towards the tattoo on Ram’s chest. He lapped his tongue along the curves and edges while he watched Ram close his eyes in ecstasy. He then flicked his tongue across Ram’s nipple a few times before moving towards the tattoo along the side of his torso. King, achingly slow, licked up and down the tattoo like it was a popsicle. Ram, overwhelmed by the sensations, was panting and making these little grunts that were making King want to continue.

Ram was having a hard time keeping his composure. King was doing amazing things with that tongue of his. King moved to the top of Ram’s pants and looked up at Ram while his tongue was still touching his abs. He wanted to get closer to the tattoo that was peeking out from his pants. Ram made eye contact with King and nodded to permit him to continue. King pulled down Ram’s pants and briefs so he could lick and nibble the rest of Ram's tattoo.

Although Ram was naked and obviously weepingly hard, King avoided Ram’s cock and went back up to his navel and dipped his tongue into Ram’s belly button. Ram leaned his head back and let out a moan. King went up Ram’s abs and chest and flicked his tongue along Ram’s other nipple before laying light kisses down Ram’s arm to his dog tattoo on his forearm. He then kissed down to Ram’s fingers, kissing the tip of each one before sucking two of Ram’s fingers in his mouth while looking seductively at Ram.

Ram wanted to change things up and reciprocate, so he stopped King from continuing to suck his fingers and sat up. He then pushed King to lay down. King looked up at Ram, waiting for his instructions. Ram looked sexily at King and tapped King’s shorts. King got the hint and quickly took off his briefs and shorts. When he was naked, Ram scanned his boyfriend’s body. He licked his lips in desire and then gestured for King to flip over onto his stomach.

Ram did not want King to feel tortured about Ram making him feel good. Ram then took out a bottle of edible massage oil that he had hidden away in the inner pocket of his bag. Ram brought his leg over King’s body and was sitting slightly above King’s thighs, his hard cock sometimes rubbing against King’s skin. He poured a generous amount of oil in his hands and rubbed his hands together to warm up the oil.

Ram hesitated because he didn’t know where to start. He wanted to touch every part of King’s body. He decided to start at King’s ass. He massaged each globe before moving to the top of King’s ass and lower back. He then kissed, licked, and nibbled on King’s skin, the scent of lavender hitting him and making him feel relaxed and at ease in his actions.

King was feeling really good. Ram’s hands were working magic on his back and he felt the most relaxed in a long time. The scent of lavender from the massage oil was starting to make him sleepy. All in all, King was enjoying being putty in Ram’s hands.

Ram continued his ministrations up King’s smooth back. He added more massage oil as needed until he got to an area near King’s left shoulder that he hadn’t noticed before.

Along King’s left shoulder was a series of faint criss-cross lines. Amongst them were some slightly ragged scars and one particular one that was shaped like a “U.” The scars were very faint. They weren’t really noticeable unless you were really close to them.

The times that Ram and King had been intimate were often when they were clothed, in a hurry, or under stress. Ram realized that King often faced him and really didn’t give him a chance to really look at his back fully. Ram was often overwhelmed by King. With becoming so close so quickly, he realized that he had not noticed the scars because Ram was so focused on the sensations he was experiencing.

“What are these scars? I’ve never noticed them before”, Ram asked as he touched the lines and scars gently with his fingertips. King sighed.

“Those are the scars from when I was attacked by a dog when I was little,” King admitted. King had hoped that Ram would not have noticed them since the scars had faded over time.

“What happened?”, Ram asked as he continued to trace the scars with his fingertips. King took a deep breath and then disclosed his story.

“I was always pretty independent, so my parents allowed me to walk home from school on my own at a very young age. There was this one day I had been walking home with a steam bun in my hand because I was hungry. There was a big stray dog that came out of nowhere. He had growled at me and tried to take my steam bun. I had been hungry and brave at the time. I tried to shoo the dog away by picking up a stick and throwing the stick at it. I walked away and continued to eat my steam bun, but the dog was mad and jumped on me when I was not looking. It was much bigger than me and pushed me from the back. While I was on the ground it bit into my shoulder. I was terrified. There was blood everywhere and I was in so much pain. At some point, a man saw what was happening and got the dog off of me,” King reported. King’s eyes were shut as he remembered what had happened.

“I’m so sorry, P’King, especially for not taking you seriously when we first started getting to know each other. No wonder you are scared of dogs,” Ram stated, feeling bad that King went through that trauma. He hated that the dog had caused King so much pain.

“It’s alright, Cool Boy. You didn’t know,” King responded. Ram nodded. Ram then leaned forward and kissed along the lines and scars on King’s back.

“What are you doing?”, King asked curiously, feeling the love and tenderness in each kiss Ram was laying on his scars.

“I’m kissing them and making them better,” Ram said. King was so touched he had to keep himself from crying.

********************

After Ram was done, he gently flipped King over so he could face him. He leaned forward and pecked his boyfriend on his lips.

“I’m sorry that the dog did that to you. I’ll try to keep my dogs away from you from now on,” Ram remarked. Ram had felt terrible for all the times he had watched King freak out around being near a dog.

“No, Cool Boy. We are going to work on my fear. I want to be able to be around dogs one day,” King said adamantly as he sat up. Ram nodded.

“Okay,” Ram said.

“Sorry, if I ruined the moment,” King said. King felt bad that they were making out and that his scars kind of stopped them from continuing.

“What do you mean? You didn’t ruin anything. We just had a pause to discuss something important,” Ram said. If Ram had known that King had gone through such a traumatic situation, he would have behaved differently. He knew better now.

King looked up to see Ram’s face. He knew Ram was feeling bad for what he put King through in the past. Deep down, King knew Ram would never put him in harm’s way. He needed to change this sad atmosphere. King wanted to forget about what happened in the past.

“Kiss me,” King demanded. He needed Ram right now.

Ram obliged as he grabbed King's shoulders and kissed King gently. King was not having it and brought his hand up around Ram’s neck to pull his face closer for a hard kiss. Ram opened his mouth slightly and King pushed his tongue in to find Ram's. King felt Ram’s hard cock along his thighs.

“Wait,” King said. Ram stopped and watched as King moved out of Ram’s embrace, got up, and pushed Ram down on his back. Ram looked at King with a questioning look. King looked at Ram’s cock before looking up at Ram’s face.

“I think it’s about time that I make you feel good, too,” King said as he kissed Ram on the lips as he sat on his hard stomach. He stuck his tongue in Ram’s mouth and kissed him thoroughly. He started kissing him down his jaw, along his neck and went down to his chest. King stared at Ram’s chest before he started moving towards Ram’s nipples. When King got close to one, he took the little nub in between his teeth, then flicked and sucked on it, causing Ram to put his arm across his mouth to keep from moaning too loudly. King, liking Ram’s response, did the same to the other nipple. He then kissed and nibbled on Ram’s abs down his happy trail until he was face to face with Ram’s hard, leaking cock.

King had not known that he would like touching another guy’s dick, but he definitely liked touching Ram. He kneeled in the V of Ram's legs and grabbed some of the edible massage oil. King rubbed the oil into his hands before he grabbed onto Ram’s cock. King started stroking it, watching Ram trying to keep himself from falling apart. He noticed that the tip of Ram’s cock glistened with pre-cum so he leaned down and swiped his tongue across it. Ram made a delicious noise that King wanted to hear again. King then started alternating licking and sucking on Ram’s cock as if it was a lollipop that King was trying to get down to the center.

Ram removed his arm and looked at King all over his dick. King looked like he was really enjoying it. Ram looked at his handsome boyfriend and wanted some of King also.

“P’King, stop!”, Ram stated as he touched King’s shoulder. King’s mouth was mid suck as he brought his eyes up to Ram. Ram couldn’t handle how hot King looked sucking him off.

“P’King, I want to taste you. Bring your legs up here,” Ram told King. King popped Ram’s cock out of his mouth.

“What?”, King asked, a bit confused. Ram got up on his elbows and twisted King around so his legs were up close to Ram’s upper body. King got the hint and finally lifted one of his legs over to the other side of Ram's head while his head remained down near Ram’s lower body.

King was currently on his hands and knees and looked between him and Ram.

“Are you sure you are okay with this?”, King asked.

“Of course I am, or I wouldn’t have suggested it,” Ram said as he rubbed King’s thighs. Ram’s warm hands on King’s thighs were making him feel hot all over and was making his cock harder. To affirm his suggestion, Ram looked at King’s cock hanging between his legs. He grabbed King’s cock with his hand and started stroking it as he brought his mouth up to lick the tip before he started sucking on the head. King closed his eyes and tried to hold himself up due to the sensation he was feeling throughout his body.

“That feels so good,” King told Ram. He couldn’t keep himself up any longer and ended up laying partially on top of Ram’s body.

“Do you like that?”, Ram asked huskily. Without waiting for a response, he started to suck King’s cock harder and deeper into his mouth as he rubbed all over King’s thighs and ass.

Not to be outdone, King grabbed Ram’s cock and stroked him before rolling his tongue around Ram’s cock. King then licked a path along the backside of Ram’s cock down to his balls. King licked one and then sucked on it gently.

Ram took King’s cock out of his mouth and started stroking it.

“Keep doing that,” Ram told King. King continued to tongue both of Ram’s balls as he then took the other one in his mouth and sucked on it gently.

“Hmmm…”, King hummed while he had one of Ram’s balls in his mouth. Ram thrust up as King continued to stroke him while he tended to Ram’s balls.

Ram and King were totally engrossed in their activity, occasionally coming for air. Their hot, sweaty, naked bodies continued to rub against each other in an erotic dance surrounded by a concert of slurps, gasps, grunts, and moans. They both appeared to be testing different ways of licking, sucking, nibbling, and touching each other. Their sexual attraction and compatibility surprised them both. They were able to easily read what the other wanted and needed, which made their arousal feel that much better.

Ram realized that King really liked it when he kneaded his ass as Ram sucked on his cock. King noticed that Ram would moan and tense up when King would change up the speed of his strokes and sucks and slow things down.

King had to admit that Ram suggesting 69ing was something he had not even considered but wouldn’t mind doing again. Being able to give and receive at the same time allowed King and Ram to discover how to take care of and satisfy each other at the same time. They matched each other’s pace and read each other’s bodies for what the other wanted. Their enthusiasm at giving to each other made them want to satisfy and please the other more.

Currently, King and Ram were so aroused and were both about to burst. King started stroking and sucking Ram’s cock faster. Ram, not feeling like he could get enough of King, started matching King’s pace.

“I’m getting close,” King told Ram.

“I am too,” Ram told King as he came up for air.

They continued to stroke, suck, lick, and nibble each other. Ram, ready for King, kept King’s cock in his mouth, as he rubbed all over King’s ass with both of his hands. His fingertips glazed accidentally over an area behind King’s balls and King tensed.

“I’m cumming,” King declared. Ram latched on to King’s cock and attempted to swallow all that King was going to give. The sensation of King sucking him off and King cumming was too much, so he ended up cumming, too, but could not warn King with King’s cock in his mouth. Luckily, King was able to notice Ram tense up and was prepared for Ram. King felt like he was getting the hang of this.

Ram, realizing that he wasn’t used to sucking at this angle, started to gag, and stroked King instead, getting King’s cum all over his face, neck, and chest.

As soon as King was done with Ram, he turned around to look at Ram. Ram had King’s cum all over him. King quickly went to Ram’s bag to find the wipes and cleaned Ram up.

“I’m so sorry, Cool Boy! Are you okay?”, King asked. Ram nodded as King wiped the cum off his cheek, neck, and chest. Ram and King cleaned up after themselves in the tent and wiped each other down. They decided to put clothes on so they would not get sick.

**********************

Once they were dressed, Ram kissed King on the cheek. King reciprocated with a peck on Ram’s lips. Ram laid down and beckoned King to join him. He held his hand out and King grabbed it. Ram then pulled King towards him. King settled down on Ram’s shoulder and shifted his body so he was flush against Ram. They laid there for a while, satisfied with just being together. King’s eyes were starting to close when Ram spoke up about something that was bothering him.

“P’King?”, Ram asked.

“Hmm?”, King responded.

“Can you not go tutor other guys over dinner? It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just don’t trust them,” Ram admitted. That was kind of how he and King started liking each other, and he did not want some other guy trying to do the same with his boyfriend. King nodded.

“Okay, I will not tutor anyone but my Cool Boy,” King announced. King had no intention of tutoring that guy or any other guy over dinner, but he would get the junior the notes he promised. What Ram was asking for was not unreasonable. He actually didn’t really want to tutor anyone else but Ram. Ram smiled happily as he leaned back and kissed King’s forehead.

“Are you sure I don’t annoy you?”, Ram asked.

“Cool Boy, I just said it because I was trying to get away from you when I was drunk,” King said as he cuddled closer to Ram. King continued.

“I’m not really tortured being around you. I just like being with you a lot. I think I was trying to distance myself because we are going to be apart for the first time in a week. I know we can function apart fine. I just like having you around. Being with you makes me happy.”

Ram nodded as he looked up at the ceiling.

“I feel the same way about you. I’m sure we are going to miss each other whenever we are apart, but there is one thing that keeps me going until I see you again,” Ram shared as he looked down into King’s eyes.

“What is that?”, King asked looking back up at Ram. Ram grabbed King’s hand and placed it on his chest.

“That you’re in my heart,” Ram professed. King ducked his head into Ram’s shoulder as he hugged him tightly. Ram was in King’s heart also. King pulled back and looked at Ram’s handsome face.

King lifted himself slightly so he can lean forward and touch their foreheads together. They looked into each other’s eyes adoringly. King then leaned back to smile at Ram, telling him that Ram was in his heart also. He then moved forward and rubbed his nose slowly along Ram’s in an Eskimo kiss. He leaned back again to look at Ram. Ram smiled at King and leaned forward to rub King’s nose with his. They looked happily at each other before King realized how late it was.

“Let’s try to get some sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow,” King suggested. King laid back down with his head on Ram’s shoulder, his arm around Ram’s waist, and his leg on top of Ram’s. Ram held King in place with one hand holding King’s elbow and the other hand around King's shoulder. After a roller coaster of a day, Ram and King laid comfortably wrapped in each other’s arms, their eyes easily drifting closed for a much needed restful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive me if the sexual parts were a bit off. I tried to describe what I was imagining in my head as best as I could.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway!
> 
> There is likely one more chapter to finish up Episode 14 and then I'll probably be diverging from canon completely.
> 
> I am hoping that readers will continue to read this fic even after I finish up the Season 1 scenes. 
> 
> Hoping everyone is taking care out there!


	35. Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ram and King wake up and prepare to leave the Volunteer Camp. King gets picked up to go visit his grandma. Ram takes the bus with the other volunteers home. Both anticipate the dinner with Ram's parents and Pin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry everybody. I know it's been like a month. Life, work, and Thanksgiving happened and I couldn't find enough time to work on this chapter. I'm hoping things will get better from now on since I'm going to take some time off and I want to write.
> 
> This chapter includes excerpts of the last few scenes from Episode 14 and some modified scenes from Episode 10. Please forgive me for any mistakes/typos. 
> 
> Bring some drinks and some snacks. This is a long chapter!
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains a brief part with mature content. Please read at your own risk.

“Hello, Hello! Everyone! Let’s get up and breathe the fresh air," said the senior over the megaphone, who was much too peppy for how early it was.

King stirred in his sleep, his hand laying on Ram’s stomach and his head on Ram’s arm. Ram was sound asleep with his hand touching King’s arm. King started to wake up as the announcement continued.

“Pack up all your things. We will be leaving at 10 am sharp.”

King brought his hand to his head, rubbed his eyes, and looked around. He noticed his head was on Ram’s arm and looked at Ram’s sleeping face. King got up and tried not to wake up Ram. He unzipped the tent, went outside, and put his slippers on. King stood in front of the tent and thought about last night. King tried to remember what happened. His eyes squeezed shut before he heard an unzipping of the tent behind him. King wondered if Ram remembered about what happened last night. King was embarrassed about how he had acted.

Ram, who noticed that King was no longer sleeping beside him, got up and followed his senior outside the tent. He groggily walked out with his eyes still somewhat closed. King looked at Ram, who looked sleepy, and Ram looked back at King.

“How did you sleep last night?" King asked. Ram nodded that it was okay in response.

“Umm, well. Last night…,” King said hesitantly, unsure what Ram may remember from the previous night. Ram watched King closely.

“What?” Ram asked drowsily.

“You can’t remember?” King asked. Ram looked down for a second before bringing his hand up to his head.

“Don’t tell me you were drunk and forgot everything last night?” King asked. Ram squeezed his eyes shut since he was sometimes slow waking up in the mornings. He brought his hand down and looked away before responding.

“I was playing cards with P’Tee and then…,” Ram slowly explained to King.

“And then you just knocked outright?” King interrupted. Ram looked at King curiously.

“That’s good! You go shower quick! I’ll go later”, King told Ram. Ram had his hands in his pockets as he observed King and nodded his head. He went back into the tent to put his clothes and toiletries in a plastic bag.

King turned back around and blew out the air that he was holding. He continued to ponder all that happened last night when suddenly King felt Ram’s arms around his waist and Ram’s chin on his shoulder.

“Are you sure you don’t want to join me? We got pretty sweaty last night,” Ram inquired to King as he nuzzled into King’s neck. King turned his head to look at Ram.

“You remember?” King asked. Flashbacks of King being drunk, saying those things to Ram, and pushing Ram came into his mind. He also remembered him mapping Ram’s body and Ram massaging him. He also remembered how he and Ram got sweaty last night. His thoughts were interrupted by feeling Ram nod into his shoulder.

“I remember. I did not drink last night. Don’t you remember?” Ram asked. King had not realized that Ram had not drunk last night and looked down. He then turned around in Ram’s arms to be face to face with Ram.

“I’m sorry about what I said last night. You do not torture me. I just want to be with you. You are not annoying at all. I don’t know what I was thinking,” King apologized with his hands on Ram’s shoulders. He looked into Ram’s face to see if he was upset.

“You already apologized and more than made up for it,” Ram said as he kissed King’s forehead.

“Are you sure you don’t want to join me?” Ram asked. King shook his head.

“No, it’s okay. Go ahead. If we go together, I don’t know how much showering we would get accomplished," King said, giggling.

“I need to go talk to Tee anyway to make sure we are all squared away with everything before I leave. I will take a shower when you get back,” King said before he kissed Ram on the cheek.

“I’ll miss you, P’!” Ram whispered sexily, winking at King before walking away.

King felt heat spread throughout his body.

“Cool Boy is going to be the death of me," King said as he watched Ram walk towards the showers. He shook his head and smiled before walking towards Tee’s tent.

***********************

After King went to Tee’s tent to talk to Tee briefly, he went off to take a shower and got ready. Ram went to go get him some breakfast while he packed up his stuff. A driver was coming to pick him up shortly, and he had to be ready to go when he got here.

Ram had grabbed some fruit, a container of donut-like Patongo, and some drinks for them to share. While King was packing, Ram would feed King and feed himself. Ram thought it was fun to take care of King, and King liked to be taken care of. King suddenly got sad while he finished packing up his stuff.

Ram noticed the sudden sadness and nudged his shoulder with his. He looked at him questioningly.

“I’m okay, Cool Boy! I just enjoy this,” King admitted as he gestured with his hands towards him and Ram and the tent.

“Me, too,” Ram admitted also. Ram put the fruit down and grabbed King’s face in his hands. He leaned in and slowly kissed King on the lips. Ram suddenly tasted the sweetness of the fruit on King’s lips and lapped it up with his tongue. King held onto Ram’s waist and kissed Ram back, tasting the sugar from the Patongo. They continued to make out with open-mouthed kisses and sucking of lips when King felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. King stopped the kiss, and he took out his phone. The driver had arrived. He looked up at Ram, and Ram nodded. He turned to put his backpack on and grabbed their trash.

“I have to go meet up with Bohn real quick. Can you meet me at the parking area?” King asked Ram as they exited the tent. Ram nodded and left to throw the trash. King looked around the tent to make sure they had not left anything and zipped it back up. He texted Bohn and walked towards the parking area.

*********************

King quickly walked over to the parking area to meet up with Bohn.

“Hey!” King greeted his best friend.

“Hey!” Bohn greeted back. Bohn had left Duen to pack up the rest of his belongings before getting on the bus.

“So, what’s up?” Bohn asked.

“You know I’m heading to my grandma’s house for a few days?” King asked.

“Yeah,” Bohn responded.

“I know you will likely be seeing Duen over the weekend. Since Duen is Cool Boy’s best friend, can you do me a favor and look out for Cool Boy? Duen will likely be one of the first people he would call if something goes down tonight and I just want to make sure he has some support since I am not going to be around”, King inquired.

“Sure. Do you think it would be that bad?” Bohn asked.

“Yes. There is no telling what may happen,“ King said seriously. King was a little worried and just wanted to make sure Ram was taken care of, even if he could not do it himself.

“Don’t worry about it. I got Nong Ram and your back. Plus, Duen would kill me if I didn’t,” Bohn professed as they started walking towards the black truck that would be transporting him to his grandmother’s house.

“My grandma sent someone to pick me up. I’m going to her place now,” King informed Bohn.

“Hmm…,” Bohn responded and nodded his head at King as they got to the truck.

“Message me when you get to your grandma’s house then. Take care,” Bohn instructed King as he patted his shoulder. King nodded.

“See you,” King said as he waved goodbye to Bohn. King turned around when he heard someone walking towards him on his left.

Ram walked over to King in front of the black truck.

“Then…,” King started to say as he looked at Ram.

“I’ll see you on Sunday,” King continued, then gave Ram a wave goodbye. Ram nodded, and King turned to get into the truck. Ram then stepped forward.

“Wait, P’King!”

King turned around to look at Ram. Ram walked in front of King and wrapped his arms around King’s waist, snuggled his face into King’s neck, then took a long sniff of King’s scent. King wrapped his arms around Ram and hugged him back. They then leaned back to look at each other but did not say a word.

King and Ram leaned forward, closed their eyes, and rubbed their noses together. Ram and King then released each other.

Ram stood by the truck and watched King get in on the passenger side. King greeted the driver, who started the engine and drove off. Ram turned to watch the truck drive away.

King sat quietly as the driver drove him off the camping site. After a few seconds, he heard a notification from his phone. He took it out to look at it.

 **MY COOL BOY** : Have a good time with your  
Grandmother! Tell her I said  
“Hi!”

 **KING** : I will. Thanks!

 **KING** : Please text or call me tonight  
to update me on dinner and  
what your parents say, okay?

 **MY COOL BOY** : 👍🏽

 **MY COOL BOY** : I’ll miss you! 🤔 💖 🥰

King smiled to himself before texting Ram back.

**KING** : I’ll miss you, too! 😟💔😘

*************

Ram looked at King’s text before putting his phone in his pocket. He then went to go find his friends. He saw Phu, Tang, and Ting Ting sitting on the grass waiting for instructions to get on the bus. Ram walked towards them.

Ting Ting was on her phone when she looked up to smile as Ram joined them. She quickly typed something on her phone. She leaned over to Ram.

“Umm. I sent you the picture already. Look!” Ting Ting informed Ram. Ram took out his phone from his pocket. He clicked on the picture, and it showed Ram and King, with his flower crown. Tang watched as a smile spread across Ram’s face looking at it. He patted Ting Ting’s leg and gestured for her to look at Ram. Phu, Tang, and Ting Ting watched Ram continue to smile at the picture.

Ram continued to look at the picture then looked up to find his friends staring at him. At that moment, Ting Ting started to record herself for her vlog as her friends watched on.

*******************

King had been talking to the driver about how long it was going to take to get to his grandmother’s house. King looked at the scenery outside and thought about his week. He was in disbelief at how he and Ram had easily switched from junior and senior to boyfriends. King could not be happier. Ram took care of him, and he took care of Ram. King looked out his window, worried about what will happen tonight. He hoped that Ram’s dinner with his parents and Pin will not be as bad as they anticipate it to be. All King could do was wait until Ram called him later. He decided to put his headphones on and listen to some music in the meantime.

**************

Tee stood in front of the bus and made an announcement.

“Alright, everyone. Please check in with me before getting on the bus to make sure you are accounted for. Thanks!”

Ram and his friends followed the other volunteers onto the bus. Ram was behind Ting Ting and Tang and was in front of Phu, Duen, and Bohn. When they got to the front of the bus, Tee stopped them.

“Nong Ram, you are checked in. Please let us seniors know if you need anything while King is away, okay?” Tee informed Ram. Ram nodded.

“Yeah, if anything goes down or if you need anything, you can count on us," Bohn said from behind him, Duen smiling proudly at his boyfriend. Ram nodded again in appreciation as he got on the bus.

Ram was feeling pretty supported, not only by his friends but by his seniors. King and Ram were both lucky to have such great friends. He just hoped he would not need to ask for any help.

Ram got onto the bus and looked around. Pun and Nott waved at Ram from their seats. Ram waved back with a smile. He saw Thara and Frong already sitting together and talking. They waved at Ram without stopping their conversation, and Ram waved back. He sat down across from them in the same seat he sat in with King. Phu sat next to him this time to give him some company.

As soon as the rest of the volunteers got on the bus, they started their trip back to university.

Phu and Ram talked for a little while before Phu decided to take a nap. Ram was thinking the same thing considering the late-night activities he and King had the previous night. He put in his earbuds and was about to listen to some music when he got a notification. It was from King.

 **MY KING** : I was listening to music and  
this song came up on my  
playlist. I know the song  
means something else but  
it just made me think about  
missing you more now that  
we are together. Miss you...

King sent him a link, and Ram clicked on it. The melody and lyrics filled his ears. It was [First Time Lonely by Talay and Tommy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H2tVVr9d50).

_**E** **ach day is not so long** _  
_**Not too long from nightfall to morning** _  
_**Time passes, with so many things to do** _  
_**Doing nothing is a waste of time** _

_**Being alone is okay** _  
_**I don’t get it when people say they hate being alone** _  
_**Each day passes, I meet a lot of people** _  
_**Do I think too much?** _

_**Then one day, I found myself by the sea** _  
_**With my favorite guitar and singing** _  
_**I miss her so much on this lonely day** _  
_**I never thought this would ever happen to me** _

_**Today, I realized the true meaning of loneliness** _  
_**The only thing more painful than having no one is having had someone that is gone** _  
_**It’s true what I’ve been told** _  
_**I have just realized now how scary the world loneliness is** _  
_**I need to get through these long nights because being lonely is agony** _

Ram continued to listen to the song, and it made him miss King also. Ram sent King a text back. King got his notification.

**MY COOL BOY** : Wish u were here next to me.  
Miss you, too. Looking forward  
to hopefully talk to you 2nite.  
Going to take a nap. 😘 ✌️👇

 **KING** : Get some rest. I’ll let  
U know when I get  
to my grandma’s.  
😍😍😍

Ram and King, still tired from last night, both got comfortable, closed their eyes, and drifted to sleep, allowing the bus and truck to rock them into dreamland.

*******************

About forty-five minutes after King fell asleep, the driver tapped his shoulder to let him know that they had arrived at his grandmother’s house. King thanked the driver and got out of the truck.

King looked at his grandmother’s house, and a large smile came across his face. He had always considered his grandmother’s house home. He spent a lot of time there during the summers and on breaks. They were always filled with laughter, happiness, and contentment. As he got older, he had not visited as often due to school, and he missed it.

He remembered planting the flowers with his grandmother in front of the house. His grandmother had wanted people to have to go around the flowers, so they can appreciate their beauty. Although it looked quaint from the front, the house was spacious, especially with his grandmother being the only one living there.

King sent a quick text to Ram as he walked around the flowers up to the porch.

**KING** : I made it to my grandma’s  
house. Text me when you  
get back to your place, k?

 **MY COOL BOY** : I will.

 **MY COOL BOY** : Oh, Ting Ting sent this to me also.

Ram had sent him the picture Ting Ting took of him with the flower crown on. King smiled to himself as he looked at it. King clicked on it and zoomed in at how happy he and Ram looked. King also realized that he and Ram were a pretty good looking couple.

Unbeknownst to King, his Grandma had already spotted him coming up the porch and observed his preoccupation with his phone. She came out of the screen door quietly and tried to see what King was looking at. She noticed that it was a picture of King and another boy.

“What are you looking at? You can’t even say hello to your Grandma first before looking at your phone?” King’s grandma teased. King wai’d his grandma.

“I’m so sorry, grandma. Someone just sent me a picture just now,” King said.

“Well, let’s see the picture then. I’d like to see what is keeping my grandson’s attention,” his grandma commanded as she put her hand out for King to give her his phone. King looked at her hand and then back at his grandmother’s no-nonsense face. He hesitated for a second before he handed her over the phone with a sigh.

King’s grandma saw King with his flower crown next to a very handsome young man.

“What a pretty flower crown for a King! You look very handsome, my grandson. Who is this good looking man next to you?” King’s grandma asked as she pointed at Ram.

King looked at the picture again and then answered his grandmother.

“This is Ram. He is one of my juniors in the Engineering Faculty," King shared. He was not sure if he wanted to admit that Ram was his boyfriend just yet. He did not know how his grandma would react.

“He is quite good looking. Your sister, Kumfah, would call him hot! Don’t you think so?” King’s grandma commented. She was not blind, and she probably knew King more than King knew himself. King blushed.

“Uh, yeah. There are always girls coming up to him,” King said and then scowled. He did not like that at all, especially after what happened at camp.

His grandma noticed King’s face as she ushered him into the house.

“I’m sure boys are coming up to him also,” his grandma pointed out to see if she could get a rise out of King.

“Um, yeah,” King said as the scowl on his face remained. He seriously didn’t like anyone trying to hit on Ram. He put his bag down and sat down at the kitchen table while his grandma brought him something to eat. He thought about what happened with Aranya and all they went through at camp because she was interested in his boyfriend.

“So, when are you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?” King’s grandma asked nonchalantly. His grandma waited patiently.

“Maybe I’ll bring him next time,” King said distractedly. He was so occupied thinking of Ram that he responded without thinking. He covered his mouth quickly with his hand, not meaning to disclose that information to her. His grandma laughed.

“Grandma, he’s not my boyfriend!” King denied it, but as soon as he looked at his grandma, he knew he made a mistake. She was looking at him with a stern face he did not like.

“King Tanthep! What did I tell you about lying to your grandma? You know I can tell when you are lying," King’s grandma asked. King put his hands up like he was going to jail, then wai'd his grandma.

“I’m sorry, Grandma. I didn’t mean to lie. I just didn’t know how you would respond to me having a boyfriend,” King admitted and looked down at the table, ashamed.

King’s grandma brought over some mango sticky rice that she made for King and put it on the table. She sat down next to her grandson and took his hand.

“Grandson, do you think I would hate you for having a boyfriend? I thought you knew me better than that”, his grandma asked.

“I do. I just thought that maybe you would be disappointed. I would think you would want me to spread the family name or have great-grandchildren for you,” King admitted.

“Can’t you do both even with a boyfriend or a husband?” his grandma declared, smiling at King. King nodded, relieved, and smiled back at his grandma.

“Grandma, you are the greatest!” King said as he hugged her.

“Of course, I am. I’m modern and I’m hip on things. Don’t underestimate your grandma!" his grandma said.

“I won’t!” King stated as he started digging into the mango sticky rice. He then put his spoon down and looked at his grandma.

“How’d you figure out that he was my boyfriend? He could have been just a junior of mine,” King inquired, impressed with grandma’s ability to figure him out. His grandmother was always kind and accepting.

“Easy. Do you know how many BL dramas I’ve watched? Your sister, Kumfah, has made me watch so many that I’ve gotten hooked on them. You looked so lovestruck staring at that picture like the boys in those dramas that I made a guess,” King’s grandma admitted. King looked at her, shaking his head.

“Wow!” King exclaimed. His grandma patted King’s hand.

“So, tell me about your boyfriend,“ King’s grandma urged King. King looked at his grandma, who appeared sincerely happy and curious about his relationship.

“Well, as I said, Ram’s my junior in my faculty," King started to share with his grandma. His grandma grabbed a spoon for herself and started eating the mango sticky rice with King as she encouraged him to continue.

**********************

The bus had just gotten to the rest stop when Ram had gotten the text from King. He sent off the picture to him before he got off to the bus to get some snacks and hang out with his friends.

They did not stay at the rest stop long before they were ushered back on the bus. Someone suggested using the karaoke machine during the trip back, so people were taking turns singing. Ram just put his headphones on and looked out the window. He was starting to get a bit anxious about this evening. He didn’t know what to expect from his parents and Pin. He changed the music on his phone to some hard rock to distract him from thinking about it and watched the scenery pass by before falling asleep again.

******************

“Now, I am here, and he is on his way home. Ram's parents and Pin expect him to come home for dinner this evening and are planning to talk to him about something important,” King shared with his grandma. King did not want to make any conclusions about what may happen.

“Well, let’s just wait and see what happens. It may not be as bad as you think,” his grandma pointed out. King nodded in agreement. He hoped so.

“In the meantime, why not help me in the garden? I need some help with pruning,” King’s grandma suggested.

“Sure!” King exclaimed. He grabbed his bag and put it in his bedroom before following his grandma outside excitedly. There was not much King could do but wait. He might as well fill his time with tending to beautiful flowers.

***********************

Ram had fallen asleep with his head leaning on the window when he felt the bus come to a stop. He opened his eyes and looked around and saw everybody getting their stuff. Ram put his stuff back into his backpack and got ready to get off. Each row left the bus slowly, and Ram started pondering what he needed to do before he headed over to his parents’ house.

It finally got to his row, and Phu let Frong and Thara get off first. Thara was talking about how excited he was about getting Cupcake home so he can roam freely in his terrarium. Phu got up, and Ram followed him out of the bus.

Ting Ting, Tang, Duen, Bohn, Mek, Boss, Tee, Frong, and Thara were all waiting outside for Phu and Ram. Phu and Ram walked up to the group as they were chatting. Nott and Pun went up to the group as well a few seconds later.

“Nongs, Thara, Frong, Nott, and Pun! It was nice hanging out the last few days. Let’s do it again sometime!” Tee suggested. Everyone in the group nodded and exclaimed in agreement. The tree planting brought the group together.

“We would love to hang out with you guys again!” Nott stated. Pun nodded in agreement with a smile.

The group hung out for a little while and then slowly dispersed as most of them wanted to get home.

“We’ll catch you guys when school starts up again,” Pun said as he and Nott waved and walked off on their own.

“I have to head out, too! Do you need a ride?” Thara asked Frong. Frong hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. They both waved at the group and walked to the bicycle racks.

Boss was begging Mek to get some snacks before they headed home, so they quickly said their goodbyes and walked towards the nearest convenience store.

Ram’s friends, Bohn, and Tee were the only ones left. Tee had to oversee that everyone left the area and that nobody left anything behind. Before he left, he spoke to Ram.

“Nong, you arere my mentee and one of my best friend’s boyfriends, so if you need anything, call me,” Tee told Ram. Ram nodded and thanked him before Tee left to deal with the rest of the volunteers.

“Do you need a ride home?” Duen asked. He and Bohn had driven to the university.

“Do you want me to walk with you to your condo?” Phu asked. Ting Ting and Tang were about to speak, but Ram spoke up before anyone else could.

“Thanks for the concern! I am fine. I’ll catch you all later," Ram said and then waved at his friends as he walked towards his bus stop. Ram appreciated his friends, but he did not need to be babysat. Ram could take care of himself. He needed to get home and prepare for dinner tonight.

Ting Ting, Tang, Phu, Duen, and Bohn watched Ram walk away. They talked about the plan for tonight if something goes down at Ram’s house. The friends decided to have Duen check on him this evening to make sure Ram was fine and would keep the rest of the group posted of any issues. At that point, the group dispersed.

**************************

Ram had made it to the bus stop right as his bus had gotten there. It got him close to his condo, and he walked into his building. Ram took the elevator to his floor and walked through the empty hallway towards his door. He took a deep breath and put in his code. He walked into his condo, took his shoes off, put his bag down, and looked around.

Ram had not been to his condo since he and King had stopped by to pick up his stuff the day before the Volunteer Camp. He winced a little, looking at the fake flowers his mom had bought for him to liven up his condo because she did not think he would have time to take care of plants. Ram was considering buying some more plants. Since he had been taking care of the Venus Fly Trap, he understood why King liked plants so much. It was a very relaxing activity, and it was rewarding to see a plant grow.

Ram sighed. It was getting close to 3 pm, and he wanted to do a few things before he went to his parents’ house. First, things first. Ram texted King.

 **RAM** : I’m at my condo.

 **MY KING** : Ok. What time do you have to  
go to your parents’ house?

 **RAM** : Around 6 pm

 **MY KING** : Well, don’t think about it and  
do other stuff for the next  
few hours.

 **MY KING** : I’ve spent most of the day outside  
helping my grandma with her  
plants.

Ram imagined King and his Grandma enjoying the sun, pruning, and watering plants. He did not want King worrying about him, so he responded in kind.

**RAM:** Enjoy your time with

your Grandma. I’m

going to wash

laundry, work out,

and then go to my

parent’s house.

 **MY KING** : Ok. Let me know if anything

happens. 😘😘😘

 **RAM** : Will do. 😚😚😚

Ram grabbed his bag and started unpacking it. He grabbed the bag of dirty clothes and put them in the washer. Ram emptied the rest of the clean clothes from his bag and realized that there was a shirt of King’s in his bag. He looked at it for a while and then brought it up to his nose to smell it. A huge smile went across his face because it smelled like King. He folded the shirt and laid it on his bed. He’ll deal with that later.

Ram then took the rest of the stuff out of his bag. He then took out the lube, condoms, and massage oil and put them in his bedside drawer for future use. He emptied the rest of his bag and put it away.

Ram went to his drawers to take out some shorts and a shirt. He changed his clothes and put some socks on. He sat on his bed and took a deep breath.

Ram glanced at the picture on his bedside table and picked it up. It was the same picture King pointed out to him the night he found out that his dad was having an affair. His family looked so happy together in the picture. Ram did not know what had happened to lead to where they are now. Ram let out a breath, and he needed to get out of his condo. He grabbed his phone and put his earbuds in. Ram had to clear his head, and going for a run would do just that.

**********************

King and his grandma went back into the house after an afternoon full of reminiscing, catching up, and spending time in the garden.

King loved spending time with his grandma. He should have known that she would have accepted him and Ram’s relationship with no issues. His grandma was a sweet, loving, and understanding lady who found the love of her life in King’s grandpa. He had died a few years earlier, and it was tough not seeing them together. King missed him a lot. His grandma spoke of a love that would never die, even after death. She could only wish that her grandson could experience the same happiness and love that she had with her husband. King wanted that, too.

King had gotten Ram’s text right before him and his Grandma decided to come in from being out in the sun all afternoon. He knew Ram was bothered by the upcoming situation. Ram always tries to handle things on his own and King knew that Ram did not want to burden King. King knew Ram needed to mentally and emotionally prepare for dinner, and running would do that for him. He looked out the kitchen window to look at his Grandma’s beautiful backyard.

“What is with the worried face? Are you thinking about your Ram? Grandson, he is as much a man as you are. He will figure things out. I am sure if he needed you, he would let you know,” his grandma said.

“I know, Grandma. I just don’t like to see him hurt,” King admitted.

“You cannot protect him from everything. This may be a difficult situation, but he has to overcome it on his terms. If Ram can figure out a way to handle this situation then he will be able to handle other difficulties in the future,“ his grandma informed King.

“You’re right, Grandma. I know he can handle it,” King said.

“Good. Now, help me chop onions,” his grandma said as she laid down a cutting board and a knife and handed King some onions so they could prepare for dinner.

“Yes, Grandma,” King responded, then started chopping.

*************************

Ram finished his run and got back home. He had run an extra two miles because he just felt like he needed to clear his mind a little more. Ram knew that he was going through so many different scenarios, so the run helped him get rid of all the thoughts in his head. Ram did not want to assume anything and did not want to worry. There was no point in worrying about something he was not sure about. He was going to find out what was happening in a couple of hours anyway.

Ram decided to do the next best thing and take a shower. Ram stripped off his clothes and turned on the water. He allowed the water to flow down his body. Just like he loved the shower at his parents’ house, he loved the shower in his condo. It was not that big. It was just a glass shower stall with a wide showerhead and an additional shower hose extension. He liked how he had a little bench that came out of the wall so he can just sit with the water pouring down on him. Ram closed his eyes and imagined himself sitting on the bench with King on his lap, running his hands all over his body. He imagined King sitting up and agonizingly slowly lowering himself on Ram’s cock. He opened his eyes and shook his head. Bad Ram! Ram just could not get enough of King. He just wanted him all, his mind, body, and soul. Ram looked down at his hard cock, then started stroking it, leaning his head back onto the shower tiles. He imagined King riding him while the hot water ran down his boyfriend’s body. Ram imagined himself stroking King’s cock, eliciting loud moans from his senior. The images that popped into his head made Ram stroke his cock faster and faster, and he came as he imagined himself cumming inside his King. Ram suddenly felt like he was no longer tense and that the water was taking all of his stress away.

After a few minutes of standing under the hot water, Ram realized that he got a bit carried away with thoughts of his boyfriend and the comfort of the shower. He was going to be late. Ram quickly washed up and rinsed off. He dried himself and walked out to his bedroom to put some clothes on.

**********

After Ram got dressed, he grabbed his wallet and phone and started walking to the bus stop. He did not feel like riding his bike home today. Ram thought about his plan for interacting with Pin and his dad. He just needed to find out what they wanted and get out of there.

The bus came, and Ram got on. He put his earbuds in his ears and listened to music for the duration of the trip. When Ram got to his stop, Ram got off and walked towards his parents’ house. He was glad that it would take him a few minutes to get there because he wanted to try to get himself calm before he walked into the house. He had to cross a footbridge before he walked into his neighborhood.

Ram sat at some steps at the end of the footbridge on the side near his neighborhood. He took a few deep breaths to decrease some of the tension he was experiencing. He debated for a few seconds and then took out his phone. He made a phone call and listened to it ring. As soon as someone answered, he said, “P’King?”

**********************

King was finishing up an early dinner with his grandma since they were starving from being outside gardening. He had just finished up the dishes and was going to watch a show with his grandma when he got a call. He looked at his phone and the caller on his screen and picked up immediately.

“Cool Boy?” King answered. King was hoping Ram was okay.

“P’King?” Ram inquired. Ram was relieved to hear King's voice.

“Cool Boy, are you okay? What’s wrong? Where are you?” King asked, wondering if everything was fine. King’s grandma pretended to be watching a show on TV but was listening attentively to King’s conversation.

“I’m okay. I just wanted to hear your voice before I get to my house and find out what is going on,” Ram admitted. Ram loved hearing King talk, and it just made him feel calm and relaxed.

“What do you need me to do?” King asked. King knew that Ram would not have called unless he needed King.

“Just tell me what you’ve been doing with your grandma”, Ram said.

King knew that Ram liked listening to his voice, so he discussed how he disclosed their relationship with his grandma. He talked about how relieved he was that she had accepted their relationship. He also discussed what he and his grandmother planted even though Ram had no idea what the plants were that he was talking about.

Ram listened attentively and was pleased to hear that King’s grandmother accepted their relationship and how relieved King was about that. It was similar to how relieved he was when Ruj accepted their relationship, although Ram would have preferred his brother to cut out the teasing.

“My grandma wants to know when I can introduce you to her”, King informed Ram.

“Maybe we can come back for a visit at our next school break,” Ram said.

“Sounds like a plan,” King said pleased. Ram looked at his watch. He better get going.

“P’King, thanks for talking to me. Hearing your voice always makes me feel better,” Ram said. Ram would rather talk to King for hours but he knew he had to face whatever his parents had to tell him.

“No problem, Cool Boy! You know I’m here for you,” King said.

“I know,” Ram responded.

“Call me after dinner, okay?” King requested.

“I will. Talk to you soon,” Ram said and then added, “I love you, my King.”

“I love you, too, my Cool Boy,” King declared back before they hung up. King looked at his phone and then joined his grandma on the sofa.

“What are we watching, Grandma?” King asked.

“Have you watched Tonhon Chonlatee? I do not like the main couple as much as I like the second couple, Mike and Toptap. That Toptap is so cute," King’s grandma informed King as they chatted while watching television.

*****************************

Ram walked into his neighborhood and got to his house in a few minutes. He took out his keys and unlocked the door, hearing laughter from Ruj and Pin talking to him about something. He headed to the kitchen and found his mother cooking.

“Hi mom,” Ram greeted her with a wai and a kiss on her cheek.

His mom saw him and exclaimed, “Oh, Ram, you’re home! Good!”

“Do you need any help cooking?” Ram asked.

“No, I’m almost done here. Can you please set the table?” his mom asked. Ram nodded. He washed his hands and grabbed the plates and utensils. He started laying them down on the dinner table.

His mother then brought some food over to the table. Ram realized that his mother had made roast beef and mashed potatoes. The beef was sliced and doused with gravy, while the mashed potatoes were creamy. She also brought over some baked carrots and rolls.

“Okay everyone, let’s eat!” His mother called out from the end of the table.

Pin and Ruj were talking about something as they walked over to the table.

“Hey, Darling! I’m so hungry,” Ram’s dad said as he walked into the dining room towards Ram’s mom and past Pin, who was sitting at the table looking at her plate.

“Hey, Ram! You’re home?” his dad asked and smiled at him. Ram nodded as he stared at his dad and mom and then at Pin. He watched as his dad looked at the spread.

“Wow! What did you cook for me tonight?” Ram’s dad asked his mom as he put her arms around her. Ram looked at his dad and could not believe what he was putting both these women through. Ram was upset that his mother had no idea what was going on right in front of her.

“Roast beef,” his mom answered.

“You know me so well,” his father replied. Ram tried to not roll his eyes at his dad.

Ruj watched his parents with a smile on his face.

“So sweet! I don’t think you need to eat! Just go straight for the dessert!” Ruj commented on his parents’ interaction. Ram watched as Pin took a deep breath and continued to sit quietly in her chair, continuing to not look at the couple. He looked back at his dad, who was still holding his mother in a hug from the back.

“Don’t tease your parent!” Ram’s dad said as he sat down at the head of the table next to Pin while Ram’s mom sat across from Pin on the other side of the dining table. Ram looked at his dad and the two women in his life and tried not to show how mad he was. Ruj sat next to Pin, and Ram sat next to his mom. His mom served his dad and started passing the food around the table.

“How was your trip?” Ruj asked.

“It was good. We planted a lot of trees and learned about conservation,” Ram stated as he scooped some mashed potatoes onto his plate.

“That’s good for you to learn about the environment. Issues with the environment could impact business,” Ram’s dad stated.

“Did P’King go as well?” Ruj asked as he waggled his eyebrows when his parents were not looking. Ram looked at Ruj and kicked him under the table like he did last time. Ruj yelped. His parents and Pin looked at Ruj as Ram continued eating his food.

“I think a mosquito bit me again,” Ruj said as he bent down to rub his shin.

“Yes, P’King did go with us along with a bunch of the seniors”, Ram said.

“P’King? Was he that cute guy who was here last week?” Pin asked. Ram turned his head quickly to look at Pin. Cute? Ram was not amused by that comment.

“Oh yes, Ram’s senior King! He was the handsome and smart young man who was here last week for dinner,” Ram’s mom answered.

“Yes, he seems like he has had some good influence on Ram here,” his dad pointed out. Ram looked at his parents. They had no idea. Ruj smiled knowingly, and Ram gave him a look.

“Oh, I’d love to meet him,” Pin said. Ram and his dad looked at Pin questioningly. There was no way Ram wanted Pin anywhere near his boyfriend. Ruj then asked a question.

“Why didn’t you bring P’King home with you?” Ruj asked curiously.

“His grandmother lived near the tree planting site, so he went to visit her for a few days,” Ram answered. He wished King was with him, but King also needed to visit his grandmother. Ruj nodded in acceptance but then asked another question.

“So, did you and P’King get assigned to the same tent?” Ruj asked as Ram was chewing on some roast beef. Ram almost choked and had to drink some water. He gave Ruj a dirty look before schooling his features. Ruj giggled to himself as he continued eating.

“I was the odd man out of my friends, so I ended up sleeping in his tent,” Ram admitted. Ram thought about the other things he and King had occupied themselves within that tent.

“I like that young man. You should spend more time with him so you can be as successful and well-spoken as him”, Ram’s dad suggested.

“That shouldn’t be hard,” Ruj said under his breath, and Ram looked at him with a warning look. Ruj went back to eating his mashed potatoes.

*******************

The family continued to eat their food. As they were finishing up, Ram’s dad started to speak.

“It was too bad that your senior did not come with you, Ram. He may be someone who can assist us with the situation we wanted to talk to you about”, his dad shared.

“What’s going on, dad?” Ram said, wanting to get this over with. Pin answered the question for him. Pin put down her utensils.

“My dad got a job in the United States, and he and my mom are needing to leave Thailand immediately. They are trying to sell our house,” Pin shared with Ram. Ram stared at Pin, and several thoughts came into his head.

“Are you going with them?” Ram asked, hoping that her answer would be yes. It would just make the situation better if she was out of the picture, even if she was his friend.

“No, I still have another 2 years of university, and I would like to stay here in Thailand. This is partly why I wanted to talk to you. I am transferring to your university”, Pin shared. Ram tried to stop the “NO!” that was going on in his head, not believing this was happening.

“Wow. That’s great!” Ram said, trying to play off his dislike about the situation.

“That means we can hang out, and I can get to know your handsome friend, King,” Pin said as she made a side glance at Ram’s dad and then looked at Ram. Ram’s dad continued eating but did not appear amused.

“Oh, maybe you can introduce them, Ram. They could make a cute couple,” his mother said. A few people at the table were opposed to the idea.

“I don’t think P’King would be interested,” Ruj said, realizing that he said that out loud and looked at his brother apologetically. Ram cleared his throat.

“A smart and popular student, like Ram’s senior, would likely have a lot of admirers already,” Ram’s dad added, clearly expressing that he also disliked the idea of Pin’s interest in King.

“P’King is very focused on school and does not have time to be in a relationship with a girl,” Ram said. That was the truth since King’s time would be spent with his boyfriend if Ram had anything to do with it.

“We’ll see about that,” Pin said under her breath. Ram and his dad looked at Pin with a look of disbelief. There was no way Ram would bring King anywhere near Pin, especially after not respecting his parents' relationship.

Ram was not sure if Pin transferring to his university was the big news they wanted to inform him of. If it was, that was not too bad. Pin was part of the Communications faculty, so she would not have any of her classes near Engineering. The chances of them “hanging out” would be slim.

“So, you are transferring to my university. Is that all?” Ram asked Pin. His mother looked up from her food and spoke.

“Ram, because Pin’s parents are leaving and she wants to stay in Thailand, her family asked us to look after her. That’s why she is transferring to your university because it’s closer to us,” Ram’s mom explained.

Ram tried to process what he was hearing. His parents were asked to take care of Pin. Ram thought if Pin's parents only knew how his dad was taking care of Pin. His thoughts were interrupted by Pin.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. My parents are selling their house, and I need a place to stay,” Pin stated.

Ram was taken aback. This was bad. He hoped that his mother would not let Pin stay at their house. Ram thought about the idea of his mother and Pin living here. There was no way his dad could keep his wife and his mistress in the same house.

“What about your sister?” Ram asked. Pin’s sister was a few years older than her and already graduated from college. She lived in an apartment in the city.

“My sister can’t take me in, and it is too far to travel to and from her apartment every day anyway,” Pin said.

“Are you guys saying that Pin is going to be staying here?” Ram asked, completely baffled. Ram looked at both of his parents. His mother looked guiltily at her plate, while Pin looked at Ram pleadingly. His dad looked him straight in the eye.

“No, we were thinking of having her stay in your condo,“ his dad answered. Ram and Ruj looked at their parents in shock.

“What!” Ram thought to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was that? 
> 
> Translation of Talay and Tommy's song was from their music video.
> 
> I realized, after the fact, that I had used the same scene from Episode 10 when Ram's dad came home. I started this fic after that scene, so I completely forgot it was part of "canon." I kind of felt that the scene fit what was going on, so just left it in this chapter, especially with Pin responding to Ram's dad being lovey dovey with Ram's mom. I figured Ram's dad did the same act all the time. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope I can get another one out to you very soon. 
> 
> Please take care and be safe!


	36. Giving Up Is Not An Option

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The confrontation between Ram, Pin, and Ram's parents continues. Other information is disclosed unexpectedly. Ram's friends and Bohn come out and support Ram no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I know, I know. It has been weeks.
> 
> Happy Reading!

“No, we were actually thinking of having her stay in your condo,“ his dad answered. Ram and Ruj looked at their parents in shock.

“What!” Ram thought to himself.

Ram was about to speak, but Ruj spoke up sooner.

“Mom and Dad, are you really okay with Pin living with Ram in his condo? I know that you guys are cool parents, but you are not that cool,” Ruj said. Ram again was about to say something but was interrupted by his dad.

Ram’s dad interjected with his hand up to stop Ram from speaking, “Ram, before you say anything. Let me explain. Your mother and I had talked to you before you started university about your desire to try to be on your own. We purchased the condo to do so. It was a good investment, and it allowed you to become acclimated to university life.”

Ram nodded in response. Yes, they did have a conversation about them purchasing the condo as an investment property since they could rent it out after Ram finished school. Ram had wanted to be independent and had been doing pretty good so far. Ram had saved his winnings from boxing matches and doing odd jobs. Ram did not have to work since he started university because he had saved enough money to cover his expenses. Ram did spend a portion of his savings on food, especially after eating out with King after study sessions. Sometimes he would pay for both of them. Luckily, King would sometimes pay for Ram, or they would share the cost of the meal.

Ram looked at his mom. She chimed in, “Ram, you have experienced being on your own and university life. We were actually thinking of having you move out of your condo and come home. You already have your room here. Your dad, Ruj, and I miss you so much. We would love to have you back home.”

Ram processed what his parents were saying.

“Are you saying that you want me to move out of my condo and move back home, so Pin can move into it?” Ram clarified. This is not what he expected or had in mind.

“Exactly! That would be the honorable thing to do," Ram’s dad responded. “You have experienced university on your own. Ruj misses his big brother. He wants you home, right Ruj?”

Ram looked at Ruj. He loved his younger brother. He did not think he could live under the same roof as his dad, especially after all that he had done. Out of everyone in the house, Ruj and his mom were who he worried about the most. He waited for his brother to respond.

Ruj knew how upset Ram was about the situation. Ruj was aware that if he said the word, Ram would come back home if he asked. Ram has always been the best brother to him. He knew that what his parents were doing was to help Pin, but at what cost? Since Ram has been on his own, Ruj has noticed that his brother was more relaxed and enjoying himself. Ruj observed his brother getting out of his comfort zone. Ram was doing things he would never have done in the past, including texting people, participating in school activities, and taking risks socially. Ruj was also proud of his brother for doing something unbelievable as to get into a relationship. Ruj thought P’King was a great guy and had never seen his brother so happy. Ruj knew that being home would take him away from freely doing things he would want to do. Ram would be unhappy.

Growing up with his older brother, Ruj never felt the pressure that Ram had from their dad. It was almost expected of Ram to succeed in every avenue he participated in. Even when Ram was not good at something, their dad would push him and encourage him. Dad knew that Ram was capable and had potential. Although their dad was one of their biggest cheerleaders, he was also one of their biggest critics. Ram understood that making mistakes and constructive criticism was helpful to improve oneself. Ram was an average student and was often encouraged to put more of an effort. That was why their dad was happy that Ram had befriended King and thought he was a good influence. Ram was currently exceeding their dad's expectations academically. Ruj knew that Ram wanting to get his own place was a way for Ram to prove that he can be successful and take care of himself.

As far as Ruj is concerned, Ram had proven that he could be independent, successful, and happy on his own. Ruj was young, but he was not blind. Ruj knew that something was upsetting Ram about their dad. He noticed at the dinner with King last week. He didn’t know what was going on, but Ruj knew that Ram would be unhappy to live at home right now. If Ram came home, he would try to be respectful and keep whatever was bothering him inside.

Ruj made eye contact with Ram, who was waiting for Ruj to confirm about wanting Ram home. Ruj smiled at Ram slightly before he turned to look at their dad. Ruj responded, “I do miss P’Ram living with us, but I also think he has been happy living on his own at university. Please do not use me to guilt Ram into coming home because I will not do it. I want whatever my brother wants. If Ram wants to live elsewhere, I will support what he wants. I’ll support whatever makes him happy.”

Ram looked at Ruj surprised, and Ruj smiled back at him. Ram was glad that he had someone on his side in the house. Ram thought about buying his brother a gift later.

His dad interrupted his thoughts by saying to Ruj, “Are you trying to say that your brother would not be happy coming home?”

This time Ram spoke up before his brother could.

“Ruj was not saying that. He was saying that he would support whatever my decision was, but I’ll answer your question. It’s not that I would be unhappy about coming home. I do miss you guys. But, I don’t think I could be happy under the circumstances,” Ram said.

“Are you saying you don’t want to help Pin?” Ram’s mom asked.

“That’s not it at all. I’m saying that you both agreed for me to live on my own, so I can become independent and be my own man. Yet, you all made these plans without considering how I would feel about it or ask for my opinion. We could have brainstormed together what options were available for housing. You took away my choice, or say, in the matter” Ram explained.

“Ram, we already explored possible options. Pin’s sister was not a good option. We even looked for apartment rentals. Rentals are either in bad locations or are really expensive, considering how close they are to the university. That’s why your condo was a good investment because it could definitely be rented out in the future,” Ram’s dad explained.

Pin added, “With my parents moving, they are also concerned about money because they have a higher cost of living in the U.S. I really cannot afford a very high rental. When your parents discussed the possibility of using the condo until my parents are settled and can pay them back, it seemed like the best option. I’m sorry we didn’t include you in the discussion.”

Ram looked at Pin and she did seem sincere about not including him in the discussion. It didn’t take away the fact that it was still messed up.

“Honestly, we think you coming home is the best option. We are still paying off the condo, so we cannot afford to pay rent somewhere else. The most cost-effective solution is for Pin to move into your condo and you move back home," Ram’s dad concluded.

“What if I don’t want to come home?” Ram asked. Ram did not want to be put in a position to have no other options.

“Then, you are on your own. We are not going to pay for your housing when you have a room here that you can live in,” his dad answered.

“So, I have no other options but to come home unless I can pay for my housing on my own?” Ram said.

“It appears that way, “Ram’s dad stated.

“Then, I’d like a chance to find my own place,” Ram said. Ram knew that this was not going to be easy. He had less than a week to find a place and earn some income to maintain his living arrangement.

“Ram, how are you going to afford your own place? You do not have a job. You are also doing so well in school right now. A job would keep you from studying, and your grades will go down. You will become less competitive for internships. Being home would allow you to just focus on your studies,” Ram’s dad suggested.

Ram thought about it. It would be easier to live at home, but then his parents would still have some control over him since he lived under their roof and would likely be up in his business. Ram respected his mother and would not want to have her worried about him coming home late or being out and about. Ever since he started living on his own, Ram liked the idea of being able to come and go as he pleased and not having to check in with anyone.

“Are you sure we can’t look at any other options?”, Ram asked. He watched as his mother shook her head and looked at her plate. He then watched as Pin and his dad slightly turned to look at each other to make eye contact and shook their heads.

“If there are no other options regarding the condo, Pin can move into it, but I’m not moving back home. I’m going to find a place to stay,” Ram announced.

Pin and Ram’s parents looked at Ram in surprise.

“Ram, I’m telling you, right now, that you’re going to be coming home because you are not going to be able to find a place to stay that you can afford. Most of your friends live with their parents or have roommates already,” Ram’s dad pointed out.

“Dad, let me figure that out on my own. You always told me that giving up is not an option,” Ram challenged. Ram’s dad stared at him.

“Okay. I accept that. Just know that you will be coming home eventually,” Ram’s dad concluded.

“When will I need to move out of the condo?” Ram asked

“You need to move out by Friday because that is when Pin is moving in,” Ram’s mom responded. Ram nodded. He was done eating and wiped his mouth with his napkin before putting his napkin on his plate. Ram took out his phone. He had one week to find a new place to live. That did not give him a lot of time. He briefly looked at Pin and his dad and could not believe what was happening.

“The condo is okay. Sometimes, there are things wrong with it. Who is going to help Pin if something needs to get fixed?” Ram asked.

“Your dad, of course,” Ram’s mom answered. Ram watched as Pin glanced at his dad then made eye contact with his mom and nodded before looking at Ram. Ram could not believe his dad let this girl manipulate him into doing things. Ram knew he could easily just spout out that his dad and Pin were having an affair, but he wanted his dad to be held accountable and break the news to his mom and Ruj. They deserved that from him. He needed to get out of here and clear his head.

“Thanks for dinner, mom. I’m going to head home now,” Ram said as he kissed his mom on the cheek and stood up.

“Wait, Ram, don’t you want to stay a little longer?” his mom asked.

“I’m still tired from traveling, so I think I will go home. Plus, I need to start packing and looking for a place to stay,” Ram pointed out. Ram didn’t want to stay longer than he needed to.

“Are you going to be able to get some help with moving? That’s why we thought your senior, King, could help you,” Ram’s father asked.

“I’m pretty sure I can get P’King’s help as well as my other friends and seniors. Moving out will not be a problem,” Ram informed his dad. Getting help to move out was the least of his worries. Finding a place to stay was the problem.

“I want to help, too!” Ruj exclaimed. Ram looked at his brother, who seemed eager to help him.

“Sure, Ruj, you can help, too. I’ll text you when I plan to move my stuff,” Ram said. Ruj nodded with a smile on his face.

“Be safe, Ram. Try your best to look for a place, but we will likely be seeing you back home in a few days,” Ram’s dad declared. Ram looked at his dad, and they had a brief staredown before Ram nodded and left.

*****************

Ram walked out of the dining room and texted Duen to see if he could get a ride. Duen responded immediately that he and Bohn would be there in 10-15 minutes. Ram went briefly around the house to look for his dogs. He wanted to see them before he left. He found them in the backyard running around. When they saw him, they ran to him excitedly.

“Hello Ro-rue, Mor-mah, and Sara-r!”, Ram exclaimed as he was somewhat bombarded by his dogs, who were trying to lick his face.

“I’m just stopping by to see you guys. Don’t worry, I’m going to try to find a place where you guys can come with me, too,” Ram said. Having his dogs around always made him feel better. His condo did not allow pets, so he planned to look for a place that allowed him to have his dogs with him. He hoped that having the dogs would not make it more difficult for him.

*************

After playing with the dogs, Ram said his goodbyes and walked out the front door. Before he could close the door all the way, Pin held the door open with her hand.

“Ram, can I talk to you?” Pin asked. Ram nodded. Pin closed the door behind her and stood with Ram on the porch. Ram waited for her to speak.

“Ram, I know that you are mad about the situation. I’m sorry. I know it seems like we purposely did not include you, but we really did try to figure out other options before deciding to move me into your condo,” Pin admitted.

“You’ve known me since I was young and would know how I would respond. You always tell me to talk to you about things. Yet, you couldn’t talk to me about this?” Ram said.

“I tried. I texted you, but you have been busy the past week,” Pin explained.

“I was at a school activity and part of the planning committee. I had responsibilities,” Ram stated.

“I know. I’m sorry. It’s not an excuse. I should have asked to talk to you sooner,” Pin admitted.

“It really doesn’t matter at this point. The decision has been made. I’ll be moving out of the condo and you will be moving in. I will make sure it’ll be empty by Friday,” Ram said.

“Ram, I really am sorry I didn’t talk to you about this,” Pin said apologetically, as she put her hand on his arm. Ram looked at her hand and then looked up at her face.

“Pin, is there anything else that you are keeping from me that I should know about?” Ram asked. Ram watched as Pin appeared to be thinking. She shook her head.

“No, there is nothing I’m keeping from you,” Pin stated. Ram wanted to allow Pin to come clean with her relationship with his dad, but she didn’t take it. He was disappointed again. He stepped away from her.

“Are you sure? We’ve been friends our whole lives. We’ve never had secrets,” Ram asked. Pin nodded.

“Yes. I’ve told you everything that is going on,” Pin stated adamantly.

“Then, who is the guy you were holding hands with on your post the other day?” Ram asked, waiting for Pin to answer. Pin spluttered.

“Some guy I’m dating,” Pin admitted.

“A guy whom you said that you would be holding hands forever with. Who is he?” Ram pointed out as he brought up his phone to show her post. Ram waited as he held his phone up for her to look at.

“I’m not ready to tell you who he is,” Pin admitted. Ram looked at her and put his phone away. Ram heard a car and looked up to see Bohn parking his car in front of his house. He walked away from her towards Bohn’s car.

“Why are you getting mad about a guy I’m dating? I date guys all the time,” Pin raised her voice as she followed Ram to Bohn’s car. Ram turned around and looked at her. Duen, noticing that something was off, got out of the car, with Bohn doing the same.

“Exactly. You do date a lot of guys, but you seem serious with this guy based on your post. Yet, you are not able to tell me who he is,” Ram said. Duen and Bohn stood behind Ram wondering what was going on. Ram turned around and walked away with Duen and Bohn looking back and forth between Ram and Pin.

“Why are you so concerned?” Pin exclaimed as she looked at Ram, who appeared upset. She continued, “Are you jealous?” Pin crossed her arms. Duen winced, knowing that Pin was making the wrong conclusion about the situation. Ram turned around pissed off.

“I’m not jealous,” Ram said. Ram was pissed she would even conclude that.

“You are acting like you are jealous. It was kind of like how you were bothered about me wanting to get to know your senior, King. You don’t want me to get to know him,” Pin said. Ram was going to respond but someone beat him to it again.

“Yeah, he doesn’t want you to get to know King,” Bohn chimed in, not liking what this girl was implying about his best friend’s boyfriend. Pin looked at Ram.

“Why? You don’t want your senior to fall for your friend? It wouldn’t be my fault if he starts to like me,” Pin stated with a smirk.

“I don’t know who you are, girl, but King would be the last person to fall for your charms,” Bohn said angrily. Duen nodded his head.

“You’d be surprised,” Pin said confidently. Duen, Bohn, and Ram looked at Pin with disbelief. She continued to talk without realizing that Ram’s dad, Ram’s mom, and Ruj had opened the front door to figure out what the ruckus was about outside. They stood behind her without her knowing.

“Ram, you have feelings for me, don’t you? I knew it! if I knew you had feelings for me, I would not have pursued the relationship with the guy on the post,” Pin said as she went up to Ram and put her hand on his arm again. Ram looked at Pin and then at both of his parents, who looked as shocked as he did.

“I don’t have feelings for you. I never have,” Ram admitted as he removed her hand from his arm. Ram’s dad looked at the scene stoically.

“I don’t believe you. You wouldn’t be that upset about me being serious about a guy if you didn’t have feelings for me. You must have known I’ve had feelings for you for years. I just got tired of waiting around for you to make a move. I had to find someone who would give me the care I deserve,” Pin said.

Ram looked at his dad, who looked upset at Pin’s words. Ram knew, at that moment, that his dad was not the one who pursued the relationship with Pin. Pin had pursued Ram’s dad instead.

“Honestly, I had no idea that you had any feelings for me. I'm sorry. I have never thought of you as more than a friend. You are just not my type,” Ram said as he started to walk towards Bohn’s car.

“I’m everyone’s type,” Pin yelled at Ram.

“You’re definitely not,” Bohn said as he and Duen walked past Pin.

Ram got into the back seat of Bohn’s car. Bohn and Duen then got in after him. Bohn started his car and pulled away from Ram’s house. Ram watched as Pin realized that Ram’s family was behind her. She played off like she was upset and Ram’s mom ushered Pin back into the house. Ruj looked angry at Pin as he walked behind Pin and his mom. Ram noticed that his dad stood frozen in place looking at the ground, likely processing what he heard Pin say. Ram wasn’t sure what was going to happen now that Pin disclosed that she had always had feelings for him. Ram didn’t know how the situation could get so much worse.

“Are you okay?” Duen asked, turning around to face Ram in the backseat. Bohn also checked on Ram through the rearview mirror. Ram nodded.

“That girl was terrible. Who does she think she is? She was spouting a whole bunch of nonsense,” Bohn said.

“That was Pin, Ram’s childhood friend, and the girl that I had talked to you about who was having an affair with his dad,” Duen stated.

“What! The nerve of that girl!” Bohn declared.

Ram just looked at his lap. He was trying to process the news that he had to move out of his condo, but now he just found his friend had feelings for him for years and still pursued a relationship with his dad. It was a lot to think about.

Duen stared at his best friend. He needed reinforcements. Duen sent a group text message to all of Ram’s friends. Ram looked at his phone since he got notified as well.

**DUEN** : Meet at Ram’s condo  
in 10. Bring snacks,  
drinks, whatever!

 **TING TING** : Oh no! I knew it!  
On our way!

 **TANG** : I’m with Ting Ting. Will pick  
up Phu.

 **PHU** : We will be there soon!

 **MY KING** : WHAT IS GOING ON?

 **RAM** : P’King, I’ll call you as  
soon as I get home.

 **MY KING** : k. I’ll be waiting.

“Thanks, Duen,” Ram said as he looked at his best friend.

“We’re always here to help you, Ram,” Duen said as he turned back around. He gave directions to Bohn on how to get to Ram’s condo. Ram turned his head and looked out the window wondering how things could get this bad.

******************

King and his Grandma had been watching back to back episodes of Tonhon Chonlatee before his Grandma decided to call it a night. King was hanging out in his room reading when he got the group text from Duen.

He didn’t know why Duen was telling all of Ram’s friends to meet at Ram’s condo, but he knew something must have happened. He had responded to the text inquiring about what was going on and Ram had told him that he would call him as soon as he got home. King tried to get back to reading, but he could not focus on the words. All he could do was wait.

*************

Bohn parked the car. Ram got out and started walking towards the entrance to his condo. Bohn and Duen followed Ram through the foyer and into the elevator. They got to his floor and followed Ram to his door. He entered the code, and they all entered his condo. Ram sat on the couch as Duen closed the door. Duen, who had been at Ram’s condo many times before, went into the refrigerator and got Ram some water. He walked over to Ram and sat on Ram’s ottoman. He handed the bottled water to Ram. Ram took it.

“Thanks,” Ram said as he opened up the bottled water and drank half of it before putting the cap back on. Ram sighed. It was sometimes hard for him to talk about things, but he knew he had to get it out. He was not mad at Duen for calling his friends. It probably would be better this way under the circumstances. He needed as much help as possible to figure out how to manage his current situation.

Ram heard a knock, and Duen ran up to his door and opened it. Ting Ting, Tang, and Phu brought bags of drinks, snacks, and other stuff and put them on Ram’s dining table.

“What happened? Ram, are you okay?” Ting Ting asked as she walked over to Ram, with Tang and Phu following her with concerned looks on their faces. Ram gave them a nod.

“Why don’t we get comfortable and take out the food and drinks?” Tang suggested. Ram nodded.

The group distributed the snacks and drinks and sat around Ram on the couch. Duen sat next to him and Bohn next to Duen while the other friends had grabbed chairs from the dining table or sat on the floor.

Bohn watched as Duen and his friends pretended to be occupied drinking and eating, but were actually allowing Ram time to talk when he was ready. Bohn realized that their group was really close, just like his friend group. They knew exactly what Ram needed.

Bohn ended up making eye contact with Ram. Ram looked down for a second before looking at Bohn.

“P’Bohn, could you video call P’King?” Ram asked.

“Sure,” Bohn responded. Everyone watched as Bohn attempted to call King. He put it on speaker, and they heard ringing.

“Hello! Bohn?” King answered as his face came onto the screen. He was wondering why Bohn was calling him.

“King, Nong Ram asked me to call you,” Bohn informed King. Bohn noticed that his best friend looked worried.

“Ram is right here,” Bohn said as he turned his phone around to show Ram.

“Cool Boy, what’s going on?” King asked. King noticed Ram appeared sad and stressed and he didn’t like it.

“I figured it would be easier to tell everyone what happened all at once. I’m sure I’ll talk to you about it in more detail later, P’King,” Ram said as he looked at King. Bohn leaned his phone against a can of soda on the ottoman so King and Ram could see each other.

“So, what happened at dinner?” King asked, leaning forward to hear what Ram would say. The friends all settled in and looked at Ram. Bohn had his arm around Duen as they heard Ram explain.

“I went to dinner with my parents and Pin. Pin’s dad got a job in the United States,” Ram informed the group.

“That’s good, right? That would mean she is leaving and can get away from your dad,” Phu stated. Ting Ting and Tang nodded in agreement.

“No, she wants to stay here and finish school. She is actually transferring to our university,” Ram shared.

“Oh, no!” Ting Ting exclaimed.

“My parents and Ruj had made some positive comments about P’King. Pin had mentioned that she was excited that we could hang out and that she could meet my handsome friend, P’King. My mom thought that Pin and P’King would make a cute couple”, Ram explained. Ram looked at King.

King scrunched up his face. For one, he was in love with Ram. There would be no way King could be with anyone else. Two, he already knew about Pin and her behavior. He would never want to be with anyone who would not respect someone else's relationship.

“Ruj, my dad, and I all tried to deter her from even considering trying to pursue anything with P’King, but she made it out like she could sway P’King to her,” Ram said. Ram looked at King.

“There is no way she will get anywhere near you. I don’t trust her,” Ram admitted.

“Me either,” King added.

“We all don’t trust her,” Ting Ting stated.

“There’s more. My parents were asked to take care of her because her parents are selling their house...,” Ram started but was interrupted by Ting Ting.

“Oh no! Is she moving into your parents’ house?” Ting Ting asked. Ram shook his head.

“No, she and my parents looked at options, and they want her to move into my condo and me to move back home. I have to be out of the condo by Friday,” Ram disclosed.

“What!!!” the group screamed in response.

“Are you really going to move back home?” Phu asked.

“My dad said that my moving back home is the most cost-effective. I told my dad I didn’t want to move back home. That was fine, but they would not financially support me. I’d have to pay for my housing on my own,” Ram said.

“How are you going to be able to do that? Apartments are expensive near the university. You are going to have to get a job,” Tang pointed out.

“I have some savings that could last me a little while. I guess I’ll have to start looking for a part-time job. Do you guys know of anyone looking for a roommate or any apartment listings?” Ram inquired.

His friends and King shook their heads. Ram looked down at his bottled water. He did not want to go back home.

“We’ll help you this weekend! We’ll make calls to places and find some apartments or rooms available,” Ting Ting stated.

“We’ll also help you look for jobs,” Phu shared. Tang nodded.

King watched Ram glance briefly at Duen. Duen reacted automatically.

“No way, Ram! You are not going to do that! I know what you are thinking!” Duen cried out. Tang, Ting Ting, and Phu caught on.

“Yeah, Ram, you can’t go back to boxing. We can’t watch you do that again,” Tang said.

“We’ll help you figure it out. Things are not that desperate,” Phu said.

Bohn and King looked at Ram and his friends questioningly. They didn’t know what they were talking about but they knew it was not good. King noted that he needed to discuss the boxing situation with Ram later.

Ram put his hands up in front of his friends.

“Okay, no boxing. We’ll try a different way,” Ram said. His friends all seemed relieved.

“Was that everything?” Ting Ting asked.

Ram looked at Duen for help, and Duen spoke up.

“Ram confronted Pin about the guy she was dating. She then accused Ram of being jealous because he wanted her to admit who the guy was and her wanting to get to know P'King,” Duen reported.

“She also accused Nong Ram of having feelings for her and she admitted that she wouldn’t have pursued the relationship with the guy if she had known. Apparently, she has had feelings for Ram for years and was waiting for him to make a move but decided to make a move on someone who would take care of her. She’s awful,“ Bohn disclosed.

King processed what he was hearing and then looked at Ram. He knew Ram’s tendency to blame himself.

“This is not your fault. You know that, right?” King asked Ram. Ram took a deep breath and nodded.

“Ram, we got you. We all are going to help you with finding a place to stay and finding a job. Worst case scenario is that you end up going home temporarily until you find your own place,” Ting Ting said.

“I do not want to return home,” Ram stated adamantly.

“Okay, okay. We’ll figure something out,” Tang said.

The friends made a plan to check with people they know about any possible apartments or rooms available and part-time jobs listed. Bohn and King promised to talk to the other seniors to see if they can get any leads. They brainstormed ideas, and everyone agreed to text Ram any leads they have.

Ram told P’King that he would call him back after everyone leaves and cleans up the condo. King agreed and told Bohn to call him tomorrow.

When King hung up, he and his friends started cleaning up the food and drinks.

“What about Sunday? Are you still planning to take P’King out on your date?” Tang asked.

Ram thought about it. He still wanted to take him out regardless. Ram nodded.

“Well, let us know if you need any help with that also!” Phu said. Ram nodded.

“I’ll text you. Thank you, guys, for everything!” Ram said.

Ting Ting, Tang, and Phu waved goodbye and walked out of Ram’s condo.

*****************

Duen and Bohn stuck around for a few more minutes.

“Do you want us to stay with you?” Duen asked. Ram shook his head.

“No, I’m good. I’m okay,” Ram said. Duen and Bohn grabbed their stuff and started walking towards the front door.

“Call us if you need anything. Really,” Bohn added. Ram was touched by Bohn’s willingness to help.

“Thanks, P’Bohn. I appreciate it,” Ram said.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Duen said as he waved goodbye to Ram and left with Bohn.

Ram locked the door. Ram was thankful that his friends were there for him. They even helped clean up afterward, so he did not have to do anything.

Ram dragged himself into his bedroom. He was feeling emotionally and physically tired. Ram changed into some comfortable shorts and a t-shirt and grabbed one of his stuffed animals and his phone. He wanted to see King and hear King’s voice, so he called him.

“Cool Boy?”, King answered. King noticed that Ram was holding a plushie in his hand. King thought Ram looked adorable.

“Hey, P’King. Can you talk?”, Ram asked. Ram felt instantly better seeing his boyfriend’s face.

“Of course!” King answered as he got comfortable in his chair. They looked at each other for a few moments before King spoke up.

“So, they are moving you out of the condo so she can move in?” King asked. Ram nodded.

“Do you think you can afford a place on your own?” King asked.

“I have some savings from boxing and previous jobs. I may be able to use the money for a few month’s rent, but I definitely need to get a job,” Ram said.

“Why is everyone opposed to you boxing?” King asked curiously.

“I did the underground circuit for a little while to make some extra money. It was not always favorable, and sometimes I had to fight with someone who was in a way higher weight division than I was. Sometimes, I was lucky and was able to fight well. Other times, I got really hurt,” Ram admitted.

Ram was not entirely proud of the boxing he was doing in the underground circuit. His manager/boss would sometimes book him to fight people he could not beat for bets to go his way. He made a lot of money for himself and his boss, but he sustained lots of injuries. Ram had started boxing the circuit to make money in case his parents would not let him get his own place, kind of similar to the situation now. It sounded to King that boxing was not really a good option for Ram.

“Well, it sounds like boxing would be a last resort. Do you think you can manage work and go to school at the same time?” King asked.

“I can only try, but I think it is better than being home,” Ram admitted. King nodded. Ram was determined to not return home. King knew that Ram did not want to go home, and finding his own place would be the best scenario for him.

“What about Pin and her having feelings for you?” King asked. Although King knew Ram had chosen him, he could not help but feel concerned about Pin and her feelings for him.

“It doesn’t change anything. I have never had feelings for her,” Ram said as he watched King. King was looking down at his desk.

“I only have feelings for one person, and he is the one on this video call with me,” Ram proclaimed. King looked up at Ram and smiled. Ram smiled back.

“Sorry. I can get worried, too, you know?” King admitted.

“I know, but you have nothing to worry about. My heart only belongs to you,” Ram said. King nodded, touched by Ram's words.

"What are you thinking about Pin and your dad's relationship now?" King asked.

"I don't know. I definitely feel like Pin pursued the relationship with my dad. My dad still had a choice to reject her, but he did not. Now, we are in this weird situation where she will live in my cond, which my dad has access to. I don't even want to think about it," Ram admitted.

"She could be just using your dad to get what she wants, someone who can get her a place to stay, buy her things, etc," King said.

Ram thought that King could be right. Regardless, it was still messed up. Pin and Ram's families have been friends for years. Pin being manipulative and harmful to his family was unforgivable.

"True. Do you think that their relationship may have been impacted by the disclosure about her having feelings for me?" Ram asked. King thought about what Pin had done.

"I'm sure she will make up some excuse that your dad will believe or manipulate him in some way," King assumed. King and Ram sat comfortably in the silence. Eventually, Ram spoke up.

“P'King, will you help me? With finding a place, a job, moving out?” Ram asked.

“Of course, I will. I will support whatever you want to do. As soon as I get back on Sunday, we can check out apartments and look for jobs,” King said.

“Not on Sunday. I promised you that I’d take you out on a date,” Ram stated.

“You don’t have to. We can postpone it for another day,” King said. King was much more concerned about Ram getting through the week than a date Ram had planned for him.

“No, I have been planning this date for the past few days. Please just let me do it for you,” Ram begged. Ram wanted to take care of his boyfriend and take him out on a proper date.

“Okay, we’ll go on a date,” King said, “but we will continue to work on things starting Monday morning.” Ram nodded.

“What’s your plan for tomorrow?” Ram asked.

“Grandma and I are going to probably do some gardening, hit the market, and watch more Thai dramas. How about you?” King asked.

“I’m going to work on searching for apartments or rooms available nearby and walk around looking for jobs. I'll probably start packing up some of my stuff,” Ram said and took a deep breath. King noticed that Ram looked exhausted.

“It’s getting late. You probably should go to sleep,” King said. Ram nodded.

“I miss you, P’King. I wish you were here,” Ram said.

“I miss you, Cool Boy. I wish I was there, too,” King admitted.

Ram looked at King, and King looked at Ram. King watched Ram bring his face close to the phone screen and realized what he was doing. King then moved his face close to the screen as both he and Ram rubbed their noses on their phone screens. They both leaned back to look at each other and giggled.

“It doesn’t feel as nice as when we are in person,” King said.

“I tried,” Ram said with a giggle.

“Talk to you tomorrow?” Ram asked. King nodded.

“Goodnight, my Cool Boy,” King said.

“Goodnight, my King,” Ram said.

They smiled one last time at each other and hung up.

*************

Ram went to the restroom to brush his teeth. When he came back out, he noticed King’s shirt was still folded on his bed. He picked it up and put it on top of his drawer. Ram pulled down his comforter. He plugged in his phone and put it on the bedside table. He then laid down, wrapped his covers around him, and attempted to fall asleep.

Ram kept on tossing and turning and could not get comfortable. He laid there looking at the ceiling in the dark. Ram's mind was racing. He had so many things to do, but he knew he could not do those things in the middle of the night. He needed something to help him fall asleep.

Ram realized that it was the first time he had not slept next to King in days. Ram had been sleeping well ever since he and King started sleeping next to each other for the last week. Ram got up and grabbed King’s shirt off his drawer. He sniffed it. He noticed hints of lavender and melon as well as earthiness and pepperiness to it. It smelled like his King, and it calmed him down immediately. Ram looked around and grabbed one of his pillows. He unfolded King’s shirt and put it on the pillow as if it was wearing it. He then laid down and got comfortable, snuggling into King’s shirt pillow. After laying there for a few minutes, Ram fell asleep, lulled by the smell of his love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry if it turned out lame or had any mistakes. I'm really hoping I can write more often in the new year. One can hope!
> 
> Wishing you all a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year!
> 
> May you continue to be safe and take care!


	37. If You Haven't Found It Yet, Keep Looking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King and Ram wake up on Saturday occupied with numerous things. King goes to a market with his Grandma and is occupied with gardening most of the day. Ram is busy preparing for his date with King and with looking for jobs and apartments. King and Ram plan for a video call before going to bed but their plans get interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! 
> 
> Warning: Long chapter ahead. It was supposed to be filler. I guess I had a lot to fill. Sorry about any mistakes or typos.
> 
> Happy reading!

King’s grandmother woke King up pretty early so they can eat breakfast and get ready to leave to check out the plant market. He was excited to see all the different plants and flowers. He was hoping he could find a new plant he could bring home. 

King loved going to the market with his grandmother. His grandmother was talented at bargaining. She was able to make deals so she can get flowers and plants cheaper than what was posted. She would not take no for an answer and would always end up bringing home the flowers or plants she wanted at the price she wanted them for. It also may be due to her coming to this market weekly for over 50 years and the vendors knowing that she will return if she likes their plants. King’s Grandma had built up a reputation to the point that a favorable review of a vendor would help that vendor's business.

When walking around the market, his grandmother acted as if she was a host of a documentary. She would point out things to him, name plants by their scientific names, and provide additional information that she thought was helpful. King enjoyed listening to his grandmother talk. She would always try to say jokes and other things to see if King was paying attention. During his childhood, King started bringing a plant book to the market to confirm that his grandma knew the scientific names of the plants they saw. He discovered with glee that she never got a scientific name wrong. King realized at that moment that he probably sounded like his grandmother when he talked about plants.

King was walking through the market, looking at the different vendors. They had vendors selling flowers and plants of various colors. There was even someone selling Bonsai Trees. King looked at all the vendors and smiled. He wished Ram was here with him. His friends really did not like plants that much, so going to markets or gardens to look at plants or flowers was not really their thing. When Ram had agreed to check out the garden at the park last Sunday, King had been pleasantly surprised that Ram enjoyed the flowers as much as he did. He was also touched by how Ram was interested in helping him take care of his plants. It just made his heart burst that he had someone to share his love of plants with. 

Because he was thinking of Ram, he decided to greet his boyfriend on this beautiful morning.

 **KING:** Good Morning! I hope today

will be a better day for you.

I’m at the plant market with

my Grandma. I was

surrounded by plants and

thought of you. Here is a 

picture of some beautiful

orchids for my sweet

boyfriend.

King sent Ram a picture of colorful orchids, hoping that they would brighten up his day. 

**  
**

**KING** : I know you are probably still

sleeping, so call me later

when you have a chance

💖 💐 😘

King put his phone away and looked around the market. He noticed his grandmother near the fruit tree vendor and walked over to see what she was doing.

**************

Ram woke up the next morning with his face mashed into the pillow covered with King’s shirt. Anything that had to do with King made him feel better. He sniffed the shirt again and laid back on his pillow. He promised himself to ask King what cologne he wore when he had the chance.

It was Saturday morning, and he had a lot of things to figure out. He had less than a week to get moved out of his condo. He looked around and realized that he probably should start a list of things he needed to do, or else he would not be able to keep track of everything.

Ram looked around his bedroom. He definitely needed to get boxes. That was the first thing on his list. He also needed to find a way to transport his stuff to his new place. If only he knew someone who had a truck. Ram looked at his ceiling. 

"Wait! P’Kumfah owned a truck!" Ram realized to himself.

Ram remembered the time where P'Kumfah dropped him off at his condo. Ram would have to talk to King to see if he could ask his sister if they could borrow it. 

Ram turned to his bedside table and grabbed his phone. He created a list of things he needed to do:

**_Get boxes_ **

**_Talk to P’King about talking to P’Kumfah about borrowing her truck_ **

**_Search apartment listings_ **

**_Search job listings_ **

Ram knew he had a lot of stuff he had to do before moving out, but he wanted to make sure things were squared away for his Sunday date with King. Ram, Phu, and Tang had brainstormed ideas on what to do on his date. It was just a matter of execution. There were a few things he needed to accomplish before their date tomorrow:

**_Contact P’Frong at his family flower shop_ **

**_Check on reservations for their late lunch_ **

**_Check with Tang on confirming their after-lunch activity_ **

**_Figure out what to wear_ **

Ram got out of his application and checked his phone. He saw the text from King and the picture of the orchids. King always knew what Ram needed. The flowers in the picture were beautiful. He laid back down on his bed and decided to call King. 

“Cool Boy, are you finally awake?” King answered, happy to see his boyfriend on a video call. King thought Ram looked so handsome, just woken from sleep and laying down with his arm behind his head.

“Good morning, P’King! Yes, I am awake. I just got your message,” Ram answered. Ram noticed that King was sitting down near a tree and looking at him sexily with his finger to his lips. The sun was shining across his hair, and Ram thought King looked handsome with a long sleeve red shirt on. Ram suddenly had a thought that King looked amazing in red. 

“Well, you are not looking too shabby yourself! I wish I was lying in bed with my very handsome boyfriend!” King said. Ram’s eyes looked at King in shock. 

“Did I just say that out loud?” Ram asked and shook his head to try to remember. Had he really said that? King nodded and grinned.

“Miss me?” King asked cutely. Ram nodded vigorously, which made King pleased. 

“Are you still shopping for plants with your grandma?” Ram asked.

“Yes, check out the plants!” King exclaimed as he stood up and started showing Ram the vendors at the market. King changed the view of his phone and showed Ram some of the plants that were around him. There were rows of different types of plants. Some were just green. There was one that was orange in color. Ram just listened and smiled. He really did adore King when he got excited about plants.

“What do you think of this Calathea Sanderiana or what they call the pinstripe plant?” King asked. King showed Ram a plant whose leaves seem to be painted with white stripes.

“Pretty. You should get one,” Ram asked. King did not have that plant at his condo.

“I do think they are pretty, but they do require work,” King thought about it. It was sensitive to direct sunlight, liked the warmth, and had to be watered pretty regularly. He rubbed his thumb against one of the leaves.

“I think I will get it, Cool Boy!”, King decided. He paid the vendor the money, and the vendor put the plant King pointed to in a bag. Ram watched as King brought the plant up to his face.

“You are coming home with me. I will introduce you to your brothers, sisters, and other Por when we get home tomorrow,” King said. King looked back at his phone. Ram raised his eyebrows.

“Yes, I called you his other Por, just like I am for your Venus Fly Trap. It is the first plant we chose together!” King smiled brightly at Ram. Ram was touched.

***************************

Ram and King talked for a few more minutes before King had to let him go to help his grandma. Ram got up and decided that he better get his day started because there was a lot to do. Ram changed into some workout clothes and went out for a quick run. He came back, got showered and changed, ate a banana, and then looked at his phone. He grabbed his keys so he could catch the next bus towards the university.

********************

King and his grandma continued to walk around the plant market, King heavily lifting multiple bags of plants for his grandma. They had been there for a few hours. He and his grandma had already brought plants back to his grandma's car twice. He was not sure if they were going to fit any more plants and flowers into the car. King did not know where his grandma got all her stamina because he was exhausted and it was not even noon yet.

“Grandma, I don’t think I’ll be able to carry any more plants,” King said. She agreed that it was time to go and they walked back to his grandma’s car. King put the plants in the trunk and started moving towards the driver’s side.

“What are you doing?” his Grandma asked as she stopped King in his tracks.

“Driving,” King responded. She brought her hand up and stared at King pointedly. He tried to return the stare but then gave up and dropped the keys in her hands.

“I might be old, but I am not senile. I can still drive,” King’s Grandma said as she hopped into the driver’s side of the car. King got into the passenger side, and then his Grandma turned on the engine and the radio. [I Miss You by Perth Tanapon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO5ie_ha-F0) played over the radio. They listened to some of the lyrics.

**_Please come back_ **

**_I really miss you_ **

**_Waiting for the day to see you_ **

**_Sending you this song_ **

**_Nostalgic songs of the previous days_ **

**_Songs that are missing in the story_ **

**_And only you to fill in the missing part_ **

**_If you listen and still remember our love_ **

**_Will you be able to come back_ **

**_Let’s help write this song_ **

**_To become our love song_ **

She remembered this song from Love By Chance 2: A Chance To Love. She was disappointed in how they made Ae pine over Pete for the whole series. She looked at King and noticed her grandson looking out the window missing his boyfriend. 

King listened to the lyrics and was glad that he did not have to deal with a situation where his love left him. He was so happy that Ram was by his side. He would be devastated without Ram. 

“So, did you talk to your faen this morning?” Grandma asked, interrupting his thoughts. King nodded.

“Yes, I did. Cool Boy is going to be busy all day looking for apartments and jobs,” King informed her. He was hoping that maybe Ram could get some leads. That reminded him. He took out his phone and sent a text to his friends to see if they knew of any apartments or jobs available. 

His grandma hummed along with the song and then said, “Why does he have to look for an apartment?” King looked at his grandma like she was going senile. He tried to explain it nicely and slowly to his grandma again.

“Grandma, I talked to you about it this morning when we were driving to the market. His parents are making him move out of his condo and want him to come home to live with them. He does not want to because of the situation with his dad. He would rather live alone than live there,” King reminded his grandma. His grandma put her hand up and flicked his head with her finger. King rubbed the area afterward.

“I know that! I am asking why he has to look for an apartment when there is a perfectly available option right in front of him?” His grandma stated. King looked at his grandma confused again.

“What? Like his friends? He cannot live with his friends since they either live at home with family or have roommates already,” King stated. 

“Grandson, think about it. Who has an available room in their place that could fit another person?” Grandma gave a look at King like he was supposed to know what she was talking about. She shook her head and looked back at the road.

“Although I doubt Ram would be using the other room if he lived there,” King’s grandma said under her breath.

“What Grandma?” King asked as he barely heard the mumbling coming from her lips.

“Grandson, how many rooms do you have at your condo?” King’s grandma asked.

“2,” King responded automatically. His eyes widened. 

“I have 2 bedrooms!” King exclaimed. King was so focused on everything going on, he completely forgot that he had an available bedroom. Was that what his grandma meant? Would she really be okay with King having his boyfriend live with him?

“Grandma, you would be okay if I lived with my boyfriend?” King asked tentatively. Although an idea, he was not sure if it was a good one. He and Ram just started dating. To live with each other was a major step in a relationship. Did he want that? Did Ram want that?

“Of course. You are both adults. At least I would not have to worry about one of you getting pregnant,” Grandma said.

“Grandma!!” King cried out. Sometimes, his grandma was too much.

“All kidding aside, you both seem to care for each other a lot. Yes, it is a bit of a jump from just dating to living with each other, but did you not tell me that this past week being with him was the happiest you had been in a while?” King’s grandma asked.

Everything his grandma said was true. Every moment with Ram was wonderful, but he was worried. He had not come out to his family. He was not so worried about his sister, more so that she would come over more often because of it. He was not sure how his parents would react to him having a boyfriend and a live-in boyfriend at that. He was worried that it may be too soon for him and Ram to live with each other. He can imagine how great it could be, but what if it did not turn out that great? What if they ended up not liking living with each other and break up? He could not bear with that. King’s grandma took her eyes off the road briefly to look at King.

“There seems to be a lot going on in that head of yours,“ King’s grandma pointed out.

“I just don’t know, Grandma. I’m worried about Por and Mae and P’Kumfah. They may disapprove of us living together. They don’t even know we are together. I am also worried that it may be too soon for us to be moving in with each other. What if it turns out bad?” King questioned.

“Grandson, you do not have to worry about your parents. I raised your Mae well. I cannot speak for your Por, but I am sure your mother would not allow your father to give you a hard time about having a boyfriend. You know your sister would be your biggest supporter,” King’s Grandma pointed out. 

“That’s true,” King thought. He just did not want to disappoint his parents. He was the only male in the family, and he knew his parents wanted more grandchildren.

“Stop thinking that you are going to disappoint your parents. Like I told you yesterday, you and your faen can do anything as a couple, including eventually having children if that is in the cards. Plus you have my support!” King’s Grandma told King. King stared at his grandma as she drove.

“How are you so confident that Cool Boy and I can do this? We have only been together for a week. How can you be so sure that we can handle living together and staying together?” King asked.

“I am not sure, but I believe in positive thinking and positive doing. I believe that you both can do this if you really wanted to. Based on what you told me about Ram, it sounds like he balances you out. You have based your relationship on communication, trust, and love,” his Grandma stated matter of factly. King looked at his grandma thoughtfully. She was absolutely right.

“Grandson, you are already committed to him wholeheartedly. I think you are worried that he does not feel as strongly about you as you do about him," King’s Grandma concluded. King looked at his lap. He was completely committed to Ram and would do anything for him. King did not want to put any pressure on Ram to move in with him if he was not ready to. He also was not sure how he would feel if Ram rejected his offer. 

“Your Ram loves you. Even if he does not think to live with you is a good idea at this time, it does not mean he loves you any less. The only way to know would be to ask him. You might be surprised by what he might say,” King’s Grandma shared. King nodded.

“I’ll think about it, Grandma,” King said as he looked out the window. 

*************************

Ram got off the bus and started walking towards his university. On the way there, he stopped at the F Flower Shop owned by Frong’s family. He opened the door to see Frong working.

Ram wai’d Frong and Frong welcomed him.

“Nong Ram! How are you?”, Frong asked, and Ram responded back with a smile. 

“Good. I just came by to check on the flowers I ordered,” Ram stated to Frong. Frong grabbed a clipboard off the wall and went through a bunch of ordering slips. He finally got to Ram’s order.

“For pickup tomorrow at 1100?” Frong asked. Ram nodded in confirmation. Frong reviewed the order and looked at Ram. 

“I’m pretty impressed, Nong! The flowers you ordered have some significant meanings. You got a date with King tomorrow?” Frong asked. Ram nodded with a smile. 

“He is going to really love the flowers!” Frong said as he put the clipboard back on the wall. He turned around and looked back at Ram. Ram hesitated.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” Frong asked Ram curiously.

“P’Frong, is your shop hiring?” Ram asked. He had been uncertain about asking, but he really just needed to suck it up and ask around if he was going to find a job to pay for his rent.

“King told me that you were looking for a job and an apartment,” Frong mentioned. Ram looked at him surprised. When did King tell Frong? Before he could ask, Frong explained.

“King sent out a mass message to a bunch of us asking for any leads for apartments or job listings for you. I’m sure he has gotten at least a few responses and just has not told you yet.”

Ram was so glad he had King in his corner. King was resourceful and knew many people, so Ram was appreciative that King was helping him. He would have to reward his King later.

“Sorry, Nong, we are not hiring right now since my mom has been sick. Why don’t you check the bulletin boards on campus? They often post jobs and apartments on them”, Frong suggested.

“Thanks, P’Frong. That is a good idea. I’ll go check them out right now. Bye!” Ram said as he waved at Frong and left the shop.

***********************

Ram headed to the Engineering Faculty and went straight to the bulletin board located outside the main building. Ram perused the board and noticed that there were actually a few apartment rentals listed. He took a picture of three that he found and planned to call them later. He also found some flyers for jobs.

One said:

**Are you in need of a job that works around your school schedule?**

**We have a job for you!**

**No experience necessary.**

**Must work at least two evenings and one day on the weekend.**

**If interested, please stop by our store close to campus between 10 am - 7 pm.**

Ram looked at the store address and knew where that was. He took a picture of the flyer. It would not hurt to check it out, especially if it did not require any experience.

Ram found another flyer and read it over:

**Do you work out regularly?**

**Have you ever been told that you have a nice body?**

**Has anyone ever called you handsome?**

**If the answer is yes, we may have some well-paying jobs for you!**

**This may include jobs in Modeling, Security, Promoting, and much more!**

**We are looking for punctual, open-minded males who don't mind having fun on the job.**

**Open call on Tuesdays from 1-3. Dress to impress!**

Ram looked at the address and realized it was located closeby. He took a picture of it.

Ram saw another flyer that read:

**PART-TIME SECURITY GUARD NEEDED**

**Works around your school schedule and provides paid training.**

**Hours: 4 hours/day, 5 days a week**

**Summary:**

**This position patrols the assigned school premises to protect property, staff, and students, and assists in maintaining a positive school environment.**

**Responsibilities:**

  1. **Patrols building and parking lot premises; assists in monitoring hallways, grounds, and other assigned school and adjacent areas; submits security schedule to building administrators.**
  2. **Responds to emergencies and other security concerns; reports and detains unauthorized persons in accordance with established school procedures.**



Ram took a picture of that flyer, too. Although he really did not want to work as a security guard, he knew that he needed to secure any job, for now, to help him manage to pay for rent. Ram figured he could look for a better job later. 

********************

Ram walked around campus to check out other bulletin boards. Some had the same flyers that he had while others had some jobs that Ram did not qualify for. 

Ram was leaving the Medical Faculty when he bumped into Thara. Thara was coming out of a classroom with some other medical students.

“Oh, Nong Ram! What are you doing on campus?” Thara asked. Ram wai’d his senior.

“I was checking out the bulletin boards for jobs and apartments,” Ram informed Thara.

“Oh, yeah, King texted me about that. Any luck?” Thara asked.

“I was able to find a few positions and apartment listings. I’m going to have to call them later,“ Ram shared with Thara. He then decided to ask.

“P’ are there any positions available at the University Clinic?” Ram asked. Thara thought about it.

“Sorry, Nong, not really. Often the medical students are interns or volunteers at the clinic. There are not usually any paid positions,” Thara told Ram. Ram nodded, accepting that the University Clinic was a dead end.

“Oh, by the way, can you remind King to stop by the clinic on Monday? We need to remove his stitches,” Thara informed Ram. Ram nodded and added it to his list of things to do.

“Oh, I also just now came out of the planning committee for the Blood Drive. We have confirmed the date for Wednesday, the 27th. I’ll send you and King more details later. Can you let King know?” Thara asked. 

“Of course. Thanks, P’! See you later!” Ram said as he waved goodbye. 

Ram started walking off campus when he got a notification from Ting Ting.

**TING TING:** Hey, Ram! Do you want to meet up

at Cafe I Love You?

 **RAM:** K

 **TANG:** We can talk about the leads we have and

give you an update on the task you asked 

us to do for you. 

**RAM: 👍**

**TANG:** See you in 10 minutes!

**********************

King had spent most of the afternoon and the better part of the afternoon helping his grandma with her gardening. They planted some of the flowers and plants that they bought at the market. He also helped her with another vegetable garden she was starting. King helped prepare the soil and plant the seed. He felt exhausted but satisfied from being outside all day. King always liked taking care of plants in their natural environment, but it was not possible living in a condo. After they were done, his grandma had told him to go relax until dinner, so he took a shower and went to his room.

King had left his phone inside to charge instead of bringing it outside. Being at his grandma’s made him want to disconnect from electronics to focus on nature and spend as much time as he could with his grandma. Although she was strong and spunky, she was in her 70s and he could not help but worry about her. After sharing almost everything with his grandma and still having her support, King promised himself he would make more of an effort to call and visit her.

King grabbed his phone and checked his messages. King was surprised to find that his friends had responded to his text inquiring about them knowing of any apartments and jobs available that Ram could pursue. He had not expected much from Frong or Thara because they both had a lot of stuff on their plates. Frong had the flower shop and his mom's health, and Thara had clinical training he was focused on. 

King read the text from Bohn, who reported some apartments for rent in his building. The issue with pursuing an apartment in Bohn’s building was that it would likely cost Ram an arm and a leg to live there. Ram would probably have to work two jobs just to make rent. 

King read a text from Tee, who did not know of any apartments available but did know of a job posted near the sports complex. He took a picture of it and shared it with King.

**Football Reporters Needed - No Prior Experience Required**

**Europe-based Sports Data Company is currently looking for new football reporters in Thailand to cover all football divisions. The job would require attending football matches at stadiums and sending real-time stats matches through a mobile computer/phone application. Voice reporting is not needed.**

**The payment is 1500 baht per match (1300 baht for the first 10). Football matches assigned per month would depend on performance and availability to travel to different stadiums. All transportation costs are covered by the company.**

**Once the form is filled, you will be sent a tutorial. Once the tutorial is completed and you feel ready, I will train you to work with us.**

**We need many new reporters asap.**

King thanked Tee for the listing. The job was not the most stable, but he would give it to Ram as a possibility.

Boss texted King that he did not know of any apartments but saw a post about needing English Tutors on the faculty Facebook page. He shared the post with King.

**We are looking for tutors!**

**Required Qualifications:**

**– Near-native proficiency in Thai- Fluent in English**

**– Degree in language teaching or a related field OR Experience in creating reading comprehension and vocabulary tests**

**– with at least 15 hrs or more availability per week**

Boss also shared that there were always jobs for movie extras posted at the Film and Theater Studies Faculty. King was not entirely sure about the English Tutoring job because it would require him to talk a lot, which he was not sure Ram would want to do. Being a movie extra could be something Ram could do but the problem would be whether it would be consistent money. King thanked Boss for the information and went on to the next text.

Mek had texted King that there were no apartments available in his building but that a gaming company near his apartment was looking for a translator. He sent over a picture of the flyer.

**Position Available: Media Content Translator, Thai (Remote)**

**The Media Content Translator will primarily be responsible for translating text and audio in English to Thai, ensuring meaning and context are maintained natively for our Thai community.**

**_Note: While this role is fully remote, current residency in Thailand is required._ **

###  **Job Responsibilities:**

  * **To translate online, video, and television media by providing subtitles**
  * **To create summaries of featured content for use on social media**
  * **To proofread Thai content and make edits to ensure content is in a native manner**
  * **To research on game terminology and game mechanics to understand specialized concepts and translate them appropriately and to industry standards**



###  **What are we looking for?**

  * **Passion for PC and other video games**
  * **Thai speaker**
  * **Attention to detail**



###  **What additional skills will help you stand out?**

  * **Previous experience in translating or localizing content, but not required**
  * **Translation or localization experience in Gaming or IT industry is a plus**



###  **What can we offer?**

  * **Flexible schedule where you can work your own hours as long as you can meet deadlines**
  * **Remote/Work from home**
  * **Part-time and Full time available**



King texted Mek. That job sounded like a good position. He expressed his appreciation and told him that he would make sure to give it to Ram. 

King read the next text, which happened to be from Nott. He had informed King that there may be a few apartments available in his building and asked King to call him. King called Nott, and he picked up the phone.

“King!” Nott said.

“Hey, Nott! I got your message about the apartments in your building,” King said.

“Thanks for calling me back. There are a few apartments available in my building, but Nong Ram would have to meet with the owner of the apartment building, and she is a bit…,” Nott hesitated.

“What?” King asked.

“...odd. She is available on Monday afternoon if Nong Ram wants to stop by,” Nott informed King.

“Thanks so much, Nott. I’ll let him know,” King told Nott. 

“The owner’s name is Porpla. Good luck to Nong Ram,” Nott said before he said bye to King and hung up.

King forwarded the job and apartment listings to Ram and told him to call him before he went to sleep since he planned to spend the rest of the night with his grandma. He then got up to head to the kitchen to see if his grandma needed any help cooking dinner.

********************

Ram walked towards Cafe I Love You and got there before his friends did. He decided to order himself a drink and sat down at one of the tables and checked his phone. No wonder he was getting so many notifications in a row! King had texted him a bunch of apartments and jobs. He was reading over the jobs when Ting Ting, Tang, Phu, and Duen had shown up with drinks and sat on his table, surrounding him.

“Hey, Ram!!” Ting Ting cried out. Phu, Duen, and Tang greeted him also. Ram just smiled and waved in response.

“Who texted you? P’King?” Phu asked. Ram nodded.

“He just sent me a bunch of jobs and apartment leads. I'm going to try to call these and see if I can check out the apartments and apply for the jobs," Ram informed his friends. Ram was determined to apply for everything because he figured the more jobs he tried, the more likely he would land something. He had to pay for his rent somehow.

Ram showed his friends all the jobs he found and that King texted to him.

“I think you should try for that modeling job. Companies are always looking for mixed-race models because you have a good look and are handsome anyway,” Ting Ting remarked. Tang gave her a look.

“I’ll go with you. I’m handsome, too!” Tang said. Ting Ting rolled her eyes.

“Me too! I wouldn’t mind a side job,” Phu said confidently. 

“Well, that would definitely make it easier for me to go as a group. I hate it when people stare at me, but if it pays me well, I am all for it,” Ram said.

“I actually think you would be a really good fit for the translator job at that video game company. You translate in your head from English to Thai all the time anyway. Plus you like video games," Duen pointed out. Phu and Tang agreed.

“That would be a great job if I can get it and it pays well. I’ll just have to apply and see what happens,” Ram said. He did not want to keep his hopes up. Jobs are hard to get.

“Well, I found a job lead. It is not that exciting, but it is a job,” Phu shared.

Phu showed him the picture of the flyer on his phone:

**Part-Time Evening Bank Cleaner**

**We are seeking a Part-Time Evening Cleaner to service our banking institution. Cleaning a bank entails emptying trash cans, sanitizing and restocking bathrooms, wiping down countertops and glass doors, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, and other routine duties as assigned. Cleaning a multi-level facility requires that the applicant must be comfortable climbing stairs.**

“I’m willing to try anything, so I don’t have to live at home. Can you send it to me?” Ram asked, and Phu texted it to him.

Tang spoke up, “Are you thinking of trying convenience stores, restaurants, or street food vendors if you can't land anything concrete?”

“I may have to if I can’t line up something by the end of the week. I may have to get multiple jobs depending on how much an apartment or room costs me,” Ram said.

“Oh, we found some apartment listings for you, too, although one or two of them looked a bit shady,” Ting Ting shared. Ting Ting, Tang, and Duen texted him the pictures of the apartment listings they found.

Ram looked at the first one from Phu:

**Roommate wanted**

**Private bedroom**

**Share kitchen and bathroom**

**Will lower rent if willing to take over cleaning and other duties**

**Will also lower rent for "other" types of favors**

**3000 baht/month negotiable**

Ram and the rest of their friends looked at Phu in amazement. Phu put his hands up.

"What? It didn't say you had to provide favors but that the rent could be lowered for other types of favors," Phu stated as he put his hands up to do air quotes. Ram shook his head.

He checked out the second one:

**Apartment for rent located above a local coffee shop.**

**Would have to be okay with noise from the shop during business hours.**

**Shop open daily 6 am - 11 pm.**

**1 bedroom/1 bath**

**2990 baht/month**

Ram did not think that living above a coffee shop was the most appealing unless he procured a job at the said coffee shop. He would definitely have to check it out.

He checked out the last listing:

**1 bedroom apartment for rent**

**Free wi-fi and internet**

**Next to a busy market**

**Close to transportation**

**Close to hospitals, restaurants, departments stores, and park**

**Please call for a visit: Lamai**

Ram sighed. It would take some time to check out all these apartments he found, and he said so to his friends.

“Luckily, King and I have cars. We can help you out with finding the apartments and jobs so you can check them out,” Tang said.

“Bohn can help us, too,” Duen noted. Ram nodded. He was so thankful for the people around him.

“Let’s organize what we have so Ram can figure out a way to tackle contacting the apartment listings and job listings. We need to organize all the information, so Ram can easily set up appointments or fill out applications,” Ting Ting said as she took a laptop out of her bag. She collected all the flyers and asked Ram to forward her all the listings he had. Ting Ting and Phu started going through them and created a spreadsheet for Ram.

While they did that, Tang, Duen, and Ram talked about the apartments and his upcoming date tomorrow.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay with me?” Duen asked.

“No, I can’t ask that of your family,” Ram maintained. Duen nodded and then got a determined look on his face and looked at Tang. Tang gave him a brief nod of encouragement.

“Ram, Bohn told me that P’King has an extra room in his condo,” Duen said.

“Yes, he does,” Ram said as he continued to read the listings on his phone. Duen and Tang looked at each other and back at Ram.

“Have you considered asking King if you could live with him?” Tang asked. Ram lifted his head to look at his friends.

“No, I have not,” Ram confessed.

“Why not?” Duen asked.

“I can’t ask him if I can live with him. I do not want to burden him, especially if I bring the dogs with me. He is afraid of dogs,” Ram disclosed.

“P’Bohn thinks that King would actually be happy if you lived with him, regardless of dogs, and we think you would be, too,” Duen shared. Tang nodded. Ram looked at Ting Ting and Phu, who looked up from the spreadsheet and nodded also.

“We just started dating. How can I ask if I could live with him? That is a big step,” Ram said.

“So, you don’t want to live with him?” Tang asked.

“That’s not what I said. I do. I would love to live with P'King. I just don’t want to pressure him into doing something that he may not be ready to do,” Ram said. 

“Well, how are you going to know unless you ask him?” Duen said.

“I don’t even know how I would start a conversation like that,” Ram admitted.

“Okay, I get it. Check out a few apartments, apply for jobs, and see how it goes. If you are not finding anything to your liking, I am sure it will pop up in conversation at some point. I mean you were sleeping at his condo before the trip and were together every day and night at camp. I don’t think moving in with each other would be very much different than this past week,” Duen pointed out.

“I’ll think about it,” Ram responded. Duen and Tang nodded and let the topic go. Ram would love to live with King, but he did not want to ask King outright. Ram felt that King would cave in and let him live there because King felt sorry for him. That is not what Ram wanted. He wanted to live with King because King wanted him to be there and vice versa.

“So, I looked into that Green City Plant Group for you. I paid for you and King’s annual membership fee,” Tang said. He took out a folder from his bag. Tang opened it up to show Ram all the information in it. He pointed to some documents in the folder.

“They had what you were looking for. With your membership, you both will share all the benefits and the requirements of the membership fee. Tang took out a form with a number on it. This is designated for you and King to use year-round,” Tang continued.

“Thank you! This is perfect! How much do I owe you?” Ram asked.

“It cost 2000 baht. Are you sure you don’t want to just pay me later? You are trying to save for your rental,” Tang suggested. Ram took out his wallet and gave it to Tang.

“No, I would rather just pay it off now. I still have enough savings for a deposit and first month’s rent,” Ram stated.

“Did you call the restaurant to confirm your reservation?” Duen asked.

“I didn’t have to. They confirmed over text, so I am good. I hope King will enjoy our date tomorrow,” Ram said. Ting Ting looked up from typing.

“Ram, he’s going to love all the things you have prepared for him tomorrow! I wish someone would take me on a romantic date,” Ting Ting commented. Tang gave Ting Ting a sour look.

“Maybe if you weren’t so controlling about how you want the dates to go and let your date actually plan something for once, you would be taken on a romantic date,” Tang proposed.

Phu let out a laugh at his two friends and hid it with a fake cough. Ram and Duen just looked between their two friends and shook their heads. 

Ting Ting and Phu finished the spreadsheet for Ram and emailed it to him to review. Ram and his friends cleaned up their area, and Tang offered Ram a ride home, which he agreed to. They all walked over to Tang's car and drove towards Ram’s condo.

*********************

On the way to Ram’s condo, his friends talked about the upcoming move and helping him pack out. Ting Ting was already inquiring about him having boxes. Duen shared that he can ask Thara about boxes. The medical staff is always emptying boxes of supplies at the clinic since they have to make sure the exam rooms and other areas are stocked. Ram was appreciative because that was one less thing he had to work on his list.

Tang dropped Ram off in front of his building. Ram looked at his friends sitting in Tang’s car. 

“Thanks, guys! I feel so much better about looking for an apartment and finding a job. Thanks for helping with my date with King, too,” Ram exclaimed.

“No problem!” Tang said.

“That’s what friends are for!” Ting Ting said with thumbs up.

“Anytime!” Phu declared. Duen nodded in agreement.

“Text us if you need anything, okay?” Duen reminded Ram. Ram nodded and then waved at his friends as they pulled onto the street.

*****************

Ram was so tired from all he did today that he stopped by a restaurant on the corner and bought some Kuay Teow Lui Suan (fresh spring rolls) and Kho Man Gai (chicken and rice) for dinner.

Ram got home and texted King that he just arrived and would call him later. Ram was going to eat dinner and finish up some things at home. Ram reviewed the spreadsheet while he ate dinner and was pretty impressed at how Ting Ting and Phu had organized the apartments and job listings. They were cross-referenced by location so that Ram could potentially schedule apartment viewings and check out jobs near each other to minimize multiple trips. 

After dinner, he cleaned his dishes and then went into his bedroom to look through his closet. The restaurant he made reservations at was not exactly fine dining, but it was also not a place where he should be wearing cut-off jeans at. Plus, he wanted to look good for King. He settled with something that was not too dressy but not too casual and put it aside in his closet.

He then started looking through his closet to see if he wanted to bring all his clothes to his new place or if he can bring some back to his parents’ house. He realized that there may be a few things he would like to take from his parents’ house to bring with him to his new place.

The situation sucked. Ram needed to figure out what to do with his dad and Pin. Pin’s disclosure that she had feelings for him for years was something he had not expected. He thought of her as a sister and a friend, never a lover. If she was so in love with Ram, why did she pursue a relationship with his father, who is married to Ram’s mother? It made him feel ill. He did not feel like she had any real feelings for his dad. He could not believe that she would manipulate his dad to get what she wants. It was like he did not know her at all. What happened to his friend?

Ram did not want to think about it anymore. He needed a distraction, so he decided to work out a little in his bedroom. He did some shadow boxing and then did 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, and 100 spiderman planks. Ram realized that he did not like doing the exercises as much without King. The motivation was in the kisses. Ram definitely planned to ask King to work out with him again. He did a few more exercises and then took a shower. Ram let the spray from the shower wash off the day.

******************************

"Showers do wonders!" Ram thought as he walked out of his bathroom. He felt like the hot water really helped him relax. Ram was able to review his accomplishments today and was proud of himself. He could not wait to end the day and talk to King about it.

Ram was finally feeling like things would work out after receiving all the additional job and apartment listings from King and his friends. He had a pretty solid plan to apply for some of the jobs and check out the apartments he, King, and his friends had found. He was getting ready for bed so he could call King before he went to sleep when he heard a knock at his door. 

"Weird. Who would come over in the middle of the night?" Ram thought to himself. He opened the door and immediately glared at the person in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Ram asked angrily. He could not believe the nerve of his old friend to show up at his condo unannounced.

Pin was outside his door wearing short shorts and a low cut gray tank top. She had a bag of food with her. She brought her hand up and poked in between Ram’s eyebrows with her finger.

“You look so serious. You can’t invite your long-time friend into your condo?” Pin asked. Ram shook his head.

“I even brought you some green curry and rice!” Pin said as she pushed him out of the way and walked into his condo as if she owned it.

She put the food on his dining table and looked around. Ram closed the door and watched as Pin started looking around the condo.

“Pin, what are you doing here? You need to leave,” Ram asked again angrily. 

“Ram, I just wanted to check out the condo and what I may need to bring when I move in,” Pin stated.

“Well, you could have called first or had my parents bring you here when I was not here,” Ram pointed out.

“What would be the fun in that?” Ping asked. She then turned and looked at Ram.

“I wanted to see you. We did not finish our conversation at your parents’ house,” Pin said seriously. Ram scoffed.

“I think I was pretty clear in saying that I am not interested in you,” Ram stated adamantly.

“But you wanted to know so badly who I was dating? You seemed jealous,” Pin admitted.

“That was not jealousy. That was anger,” Ram stated.

“Anger?” Pin asked.

“Yes. Anger. Anger at you for not being honest with me about who you are dating,” Ram explained to Pin.

“We have been friends our whole lives. You cannot just tell me the truth about who this guy is?” Ram asked.

“Still sounds like jealousy to me," Pin said.

Ram still wanted to give Pin the chance to confess and be honest with him. She just would not do it. 

“I am giving you a chance to come clean to save our friendship. If you can't do that, then leave. You have no business here,” Ram said as he picked up the bag of curry and pushed it at Pin. Unfortunately, right at that moment, the container of curry opened and splattered all over Pin’s tank top, her shorts, and the floor.

Ram let out some air in frustration. He could not believe this was happening. Ram went into his bedroom and grabbed a towel for Pin. He pointed her to his bedroom, where she could borrow some clothes from his closet and use his bathroom. While she was cleaning herself up, he wiped the curry off the floor.

A few minutes later, he then heard his phone ring. Ram threw all the dirty napkins in his trash can and walked into his bedroom. Ram grabbed his phone off the bedside table and realized it was a video call from King. He answered it and brought his phone up, so he could see King's face.

*********

King had eaten dinner with his grandma, talked, and watched a few episodes of another drama before they both decided to call it a day. King got ready for bed and waited for Ram’s call but it never came. 

He wondered if something happened and decided to occupy himself with reading a book in his room. After reading a few chapters, he checked his phone to find that Ram still had not called. King decided to call Ram himself. It rang a few times before Ram picked up.

************

“Hi, P’King!” Ram greeted King. Ram and King both noticed that they were both in their respective bedrooms.

“Hey, Cool Boy! I thought you were going to call me before you went to bed?” King asked, concerned.

“Sorry, P’King! I got sidetracked with the job and apartment listings, packing, and thinking about my dad. I got a little stressed so I worked out a little. And then…,” Ram tried to explain but was interrupted.

“Ram, who is that on the phone?” Pin cried out. King heard a female voice coming from behind Ram. King tried to see who was there. When he realized it was Pin and how she looked in Ram's bedroom, he felt his heart sink for a second, but then he felt fire in his veins at her next move.

Ram watched in mortification as he noticed King’s face became upset as Pin walked into his camera view. Pin came out of his bathroom, freshly showered, and wearing nothing but Ram’s white button-down shirt for school. It was partly unbuttoned, exposing her bra and looking like she was just in her panties. 

She walked right behind Ram and put her hands on his shoulders as she leaned forward, so her breasts were touching his back. Ram winced and closed his eyes, bringing back a flashback of Aranya. King noticed Ram’s response as Pin looked at Ram’s phone.

“Oh, it’s your senior, King. What does he want? Tell him we’re busy!” Pin demanded as she started rubbing her hands down Ram's arms. 

Ram was so shocked at what she was doing and implying that he could not get any words out. He scrunched up his shoulders and tried to move out of her grasp. He desperately looked at King, worried that King would jump to the wrong conclusion, but all he saw was King staring at him and Pin with a furious look on his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are people still reading this story? Just wondering. I feel super bad about the gaps between chapters but life is a lot harder than expected. I'm trying, I really am.
> 
> Translation of I Miss You was taken from a few of the song's youtube videos. 
> 
> The idea of Pin wearing Ram's white shirt came from the K-drama, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, when Park Min-young sexily wore Park Seo-joon's white button-down shirt during a bedroom scene.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Take care and hope to get out another chapter soon!


	38. In The Middle Of Every Difficulty Lies Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King confronts Pin in Ram's condo. King ends his visit at his grandmother's house and returns home. Ram checks out some jobs and apartments before getting ready for his date with King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. It has been a LONG time since I posted. Life has just plain sucked to the point where I haven't had a lot of time to really just sit and write. 
> 
> If there are grammatical mistakes or errors, I'm sorry. Grammarly hopefully did its job.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter! WARNING: It's long...

Ram was worried and upset. He tried to get away from Pin while holding his phone, but she kept on pawing at him. He hoped that King would not jump to the wrong conclusions about what was going on in the condo.

King was not stupid. King knew and understood Ram better than anyone, more than Pin, who supposedly has known Ram for most of his life. King knew as soon as Pin popped into the camera view that Ram had no idea that she was coming out of the bathroom half-naked and in his shirt. Ram’s face was an open book to King, and King knew how to read it. King had stared at that face so many times he could figure out what was going on in a glance.

King noticed the shocked look on Ram's face when he saw Pin come out in his shirt. Ram had instantly made a worried glance towards King, almost begging King with his eyes that what was happening was not really happening. King also noticed the flinch Ram made as soon as Pin put her hands on his shoulders and leaned over his back. As soon as he caught sight of Ram's closed eyes, King knew that Ram had thought about what Aranya did to him a few days prior. When Ram tried to get out of her arms and desperately looked at King, King knew that Pin was up to no good. She had somehow worked her way into Ram’s condo and had tried to manipulate the situation.

King knew that Ram’s experience with Aranya was likely still fresh in his mind. For Pin to touch Ram without consent was just going too far. The fact that King did not like someone touching Ram other than him and seeing Ram being retraumatized had taken King over the edge.

“WHAT DO I WANT? WHAT DO I WANT?” King yelled at the top of his lungs. King was enraged.

Pin stopped to look at the man on Ram’s phone. Ram and Pin watched as King closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He then opened them slowly. King glanced at Ram before turning his cold, narrowed eyes at Pin. King sat up straight and lifted his chin to exhibit confidence and strength. He then spoke very calmly and slowly to Pin, so she could fully understand what he wanted to get across to her.

“There are three things I want,” King started. Ram swallowed. He recognized that voice. That was the voice King used when he took Ram away from Aranya. It was the commanding, authoritarian voice that Ram thought was hot. Ram swallowed and shifted in his seat.

“One. I want you to take your hands off of Ram. He does not want you touching him. He does not want anything to do with you. What you are doing is sexual assault. We have already gotten another girl arrested for it, so don’t push your luck.”

Pin looked down at Ram, who nodded his head in confirmation as he slowly removed her hands from his shoulders. Ram was glad she was not touching him anymore.

“Two. I want you to get your clothes and leave Ram’s condo as soon as possible. Ram does not want you there with him. He is not interested in anything you have to offer," King added.

“How do you know what Ram is thinking? How do you know that he is not interested in what I can offer him? Look how hot I look in his white button-down shirt!” Pin declared.

Ram could not believe Pin was questioning King brazenly. This was not the Pin he knew. King saw the disbelief on Ram’s face and then scrutinized Pin.

“I guess you are pretty by some peoples' standards,” King stated but was interrupted by a scoff and a roll of eyes from Pin.

“Honestly,” King started as Pin looked back at King," you are just not his type.” King gave Ram a questioning look, and Ram nodded his consent.

“How would you know I am not his type?” Pin asked.

“Because I am,” King said confidently, looking Pin straight in the eyes.

“What?” Pin exclaimed as she looked at Ram, who responded with a wry smile and nodded his head in confirmation.

“What?” Pin said, defeatedly as she watched Ram give a loving smile to King. King and Ram watched Pin look lost as the news hit her full force. King decided to continue.

“Three. After you leave this condo, I want you to stay away from Ram and anyone associated with Ram, including myself,” King demanded.

“Why would I do that?” Pin asked.

“I am a third-year at the university that you are transferring to. I have friends and know professors all over the university, including your faculty. I have a positive reputation in that I represent Engineering and am the point of contact when the other faculties need assistance. When another faculty needs a favor from our faculty, I make sure Engineering follows through. We always follow through.”

“I am not one to call in favors because I am usually the one who usually gets asked for favors. I know people will believe anything I say over some new girl who transfers into our university. I am giving you the chance to leave here without any significant repercussions. But, if I see you going anywhere near Ram without his permission, believe me, I will be making some calls," King informed Pin.

King stared down Pin and said slowly, clearly, and scarily asserted," Do not mess with me. I protect what is mine. LEAVE NOW!”

Pin looked at Ram, hoping that Ram would disagree with his senior, but he did not.

Ram finally spoke up,” You better do what he says. I know for a fact that he is not messing around. Do what he says and just leave us alone.”

“You are going to pick your senior over me? We have been friends for years!” Pin exclaimed. Ram nodded. Pin lost all of Ram's respect as soon as she decided to have an affair with his dad.

“Sometimes people do things that cause their relationships to change,” King commented sarcastically.

Pin was angry but decided to try one more thing and started unbuttoning Ram’s white shirt in front of Ram. Ram looked away, not wanting to see more of Pin’s body.

“Please stop. Just take Ram’s shirt with you. I can buy him another one. JUST LEAVE!” King demanded.

Hearing King’s gruff voice, Pin finally got the hint, grabbed her clothes, and swiftly left the condo, leaving the front door wide open. Ram closed the front door and locked it. He then sat on his couch and looked at King on his phone.

“I am so sorry, P’King! She just showed up here with food. I tried to get rid of her. I pushed the food at her, but it spilled all over her. I told her to clean herself up in my bathroom and grab some clothes to change into. I did not know she was going to do that. I am so sorry!” Ram apologized, worried that King was mad at him. King was sitting quietly, trying to calm down, before he responded.

“You are mine, right?” King asked quietly. Ram looked at King determined.

“I am all yours, P’King! Do not ever doubt that. You are still mine?” Ram inquired with worry. King nodded.

“Of course,” King responded.

King continued,” I knew from the start that you had not wanted her there. I could see it all over your face. I knew that you did not want her touching you because of what Aranya had done and how much that impacted you,” Ram nodded. Ram could not stand Pin’s hands on him.

“Did you think I went a little overboard with my threat? I just wanted to keep her away from us,” King admitted.

“P’, I think that is exactly what she needed to hear to know that you were not messing around,” Ram said.

“Cool Boy, I am sorry I outed both of us in front of her. I felt like I needed to make it clear to her that there was no way you were going to cave into her advances,” King admitted.

“Not to worry, P’King. It is already out on social media. Everyone, including my family, would find out eventually,” Ram told King and continued.

“I really do not care what she or anyone thinks. If she tells my dad, so be it. It does not matter because I love you, I want to be with you, and nothing is going to keep me from having a relationship with you,” Ram shared with King. King was touched by Ram’s words and reassured him as well.

“I love you, too. You are going to get through this whole situation with your dad, Pin, and the condo. I am going to be right here beside you,” King stated. Ram suddenly felt relieved.

Ram looked at King lovingly and said," Pin just does not get it.”

King looked at Ram confused and asked," What do you mean she does not get it?”

“Pin just does not get that when you find that person that makes you feel so much inside, nothing will keep you apart from them,” Ram stated. Ram looked down, then a thought popped into his head. He smiled to himself before looking up at King.

“She does not get that I cannot stop thinking about you. From the mornings you ease to the evenings you quiet, to the dreams you inhabit, my thoughts of you never end. I am yours, P’King. I have always been yours,” Ram announced, staring into King’s eyes. King took in what Ram was saying and answered in kind.

“It is you I cannot sacrifice. I burn...for you” King said as he stared back into Ram’s eyes.

“I burn...for you,” Ram responded. King and Ram stared dramatically at each other before they both guffawed.

“No more Bridgerton for you!” King pointed his finger at Ram. Ram laughed along with King. After a minute or so, the laughter lessened. Ram did look seriously at King.

“I do burn for you and am yours, P’King,” Ram declared.

“As I burn for you and am yours, Ram," King affirmed with a tender smile. Ram loved hearing King call him by his given name because he knew, at this moment, despite the obstacles, they were intensely happy with each other.

**************

Ram and King talked for a little while longer and confirmed their plans for tomorrow as they got ready for bed. King was planning to eat breakfast with his grandmother before heading home. He would get back by 11 or 12, and Ram would pick him up around 1 pm. Ram was going to check out some apartments and apply for a job or two before picking up King.

“Are you sure you do not want me to drive tomorrow? It is not a big deal,” King suggested.

“No, I want it to be a proper date with me picking you up and everything. My mom said it would be okay to borrow her car,” Ram stated as he put his phone down on his side table, plugged in the charger, and sat on his bed.

“Well, it is late. I better get to bed since I have to wake up early. See you tomorrow?” King asked. Ram nodded. King was about to hang up when Ram suddenly stopped him.

“Wait, wait!” Ram shouted. King stopped himself from hanging up and then looked at Ram.

“Do you think you can leave your camera on for a while? Just so it feels like you are here with me?” Ram asked shyly. King looked at Ram and those big eyes he could not say no to.

“Are you serious?” King asked. Ram nodded.

“Alright, let’s sleep,” King said as he plugged in his phone, put his phone down on his side table facing his bed, and moved his covers down before getting under the blankets.

“Okay,” Ram said as he started pulling his own covers down and moving his pillows around. Ram then got into his bed and took off his shirt.

“Hey, Cool Boy! What are you doing? You are going to get sick,” King said as he looked at Ram shirtless on his screen.

“With everything that happened, my room feels hot. I have blankets, P’King. Don’t worry!” Ram rebutted. King moved closer to his phone to look at Ram’s chest and abs. How he missed them! Ram noticed his boyfriend checking him out.

“Like what you see?” Ram asked as he waggled his eyebrows. King shook his head. He pretended to avert his eyes to something behind Ram and then noticed something. He grabbed his phone to look closer at the screen and pointed at it as soon as he realized what it was.

“Hold on. Is that my shirt?” King asked. Ram quickly turned around and found the pillow that was wearing King’s shirt beside him. He looked guiltily back at King and nodded.

“No wonder I could not find it!” King stated. King watched as Ram brought the shirt pillow onto his lap and put his strong arms around it.

“I found it in my bag,” Ram said as he cuddled the pillow.

“Why is it on your pillow?” King asked. Ram brought the shirt pillow up closer to himself, covered part of his face, and sniffed happily before speaking up.

“I could not sleep last night and realized it was the first night that we slept apart since last week. Your shirt still smelled like you, so I put it around one of the pillows and hugged it as if you were sleeping next to me. It worked,” Ram admitted. King looked at Ram in amazement at how cute he was being about missing him. It made him miss Ram even more.

“Since we miss each other so much, why don't I bring a bag and sleep at your condo tomorrow night after our date? It will make it easier to start bright and early on Monday to check out apartments and look for jobs,” King suggested. Ram nodded vigorously in agreement.

“Okay, it is settled then,” King confirmed as he watched Ram suddenly yawn.

“We better get to sleep since we both have early days tomorrow," King stated.

“Wait!” Ram exclaimed as he grabbed his phone to bring it up closer to his face.

King watched as Ram leaned closer to his phone, closed his eyes, and started rubbing his nose on his phone. King laughed amusedly and brought his phone close to his face so he could rub his nose against his screen.

“I know it does not feel the same as in person, but it just does not feel right if I do not get one Eskimo kiss a day,” Ram admitted shyly.

“True,” King agreed with Ram.

“Goodnight, my King,” Ram said as he put his phone back down on the bedside table and turned off his bedside lamp.

“Goodnight, Cool Boy,” King responded with a wink before putting his phone back down on his bedside table and turning off his lamp.

Ram smiled at King, then settled down under his covers, facing his camera. Ram held the shirt pillow in front of him, sniffed it, then sighed contentedly before falling asleep.

King watched Ram hold his shirt pillow as he slept and suddenly wished he was the one being held by Ram. He could not wait until tomorrow as his eyes started drifting to sleep.

*****************

The next morning, King woke up first. He checked his phone and noticed that Ram was still sleeping and hugging the shirt pillow. King did not have the heart to wake him up so early before sunrise when Ram looked so cute, so King turned off the video. He texted Ram that he was getting ready to leave to eat breakfast with his grandmother and looked forward to seeing Ram at 1 pm.

King then showered, got dressed, and packed up his stuff. When he was ready, he went into the kitchen and found his grandmother sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea.

“Good morning, grandma,” King said.

“Good morning, grandson. Are you ready to go?” King’s grandmother asked and pointed to the fruit and food on the table.

“Of course!” King said as his grandmother got up and walked out the door while King followed her with the food in his hands.

*****************

It had become a bit of a tradition that King’s grandmother would take him to the temple near her house before he returned home. On Sundays, the temple had a morning market where dozens of vendors would serve food and drinks for brunch, fresh fruits, vegetables, or sell orchids, fruit trees, and other plants. King’s grandmother went every Sunday since all the proceeds were donated to the temple. They usually went early in the morning to offer alms to the Buddhist monks who walk out of the temple daily to receive offerings from the local people.

King and his grandmother parked the car in the neighborhood near the temple. King carried the bag of fruits and other foods that his grandmother had prepared. He followed her as she walked along some of the buildings until they met up with a group of his grandmother’s friends who were already preparing to make merit. Because his grandmother had a hard time kneeling, she brought a little stool with her to sit on. King put down the food to help her sit and wai’d to his grandmother’s friends.

“Is that your grandson? We have not seen him in a long time,” one of her friends commented.

“You have become so handsome!” said another one. King smiled and thanked them as he helped his grandmother prepare the food for the monks. After some chatting, King noticed that monks were silently walking towards his grandmother and her friends.

King kneeled low next to his grandmother as the group held a high wai as the monks approached them. King looked at the ground as a monk positioned his bowl in front of him. King put some fruit in his bowl and wai’d the monk as the monk said a prayer and then moved on to King’s grandmother. King, his grandmother, and her friends continued to give alms to the rest of the monks until they had given all the food away. Then, King and his grandmother said goodbye to her friends and walked towards the temple.

When they got there, they walked out to the back area behind the temple. King observed the tables and food stalls and the people who were already filling the space despite the temple not being officially open until 8:30 am. King’s grandmother handed King some money while she said hello to one of her friends. King walked off to the left near the garden and exchanged the money for tokens, which were used to purchase food and drink.

King brought back the tokens to his grandmother, and they scoped the stalls for the food they wanted to eat. Some food stalls had finger foods like spring rolls, curry puffs, and other items. There were some dedicated to different curries, noodles, and Moo Ping (grilled pork skewers). King and his grandmother usually got a little bit of everything to share. As soon as the vendors opened up and saw King’s grandmother, they were already scooping food onto plates for her since she ordered the same thing every Sunday. King grabbed some curry and soup for them to try and then met his grandmother at a table right next to the Lotus Garden.

King and his grandmother put the food on the table and dug in.

“I am glad that you were able to come over for a visit, grandson. It has been a while since I have seen you. It was so good to have you here,“ King’s Grandma said.

“Me, too. I promise to try to visit you more often. Maybe I can come before I start my internship next year,” King suggested, then grabbed a pork skewer and started to eat it.

“Promise me you will bring your handsome Ram the next time you visit. I would love to meet him,” King’s Grandma suggested. King smiled at his grandmother and nodded.

“I promise. I would love for Ram to meet you, too,” King said happily.

Grandma and grandson continued to eat breakfast and looked at the flowers in the garden. King appreciated these quiet moments since he did not get as many at home because he was so busy with school and other things. It made him think about his life and what was important to him. They ended up finishing all the food they bought and threw away their trash before going into the temple.

In the temple courtyard, King and his grandmother lit their incense sticks, held them between their palms against their foreheads, faced the temple, and prayed.

King recited a prayer taught to him by his grandmother:  
**_If we are peaceful,_**  
**_If we are happy,_**  
**_We can smile and blossom like a flower._**  
**_And everyone in our family,_**  
**_Our entire society,_**  
**_Will benefit_**  
**_From our peace._**

They bowed reverently in the temple courtyard then threw their incense away.

Right outside the temple was a candle rack. King and his grandmother then lit their candles, prayed, bowed, and placed their candles on the candle rack. King looked at his grandmother, who looked back at him. His grandmother always told him if he paid his respects and prayed, that positive things would likely happen to him. King wanted to believe that. He followed his grandmother into the temple. They stood in front of Buddha and prayed, then visited the other lesser deities and guardians.

His grandmother had taught him a few mantras that he has recited since he was a kid. One was Om A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhih, which King was encouraged to chant as it helped with wisdom, critical thinking, and writing. Another one that he had learned was Oṃ Amideva Hrīḥ, which was to overcome all obstacles and hindrances. King recited that mantra not only for himself but for Ram. He was worried about his boyfriend and thought that anything, even prayer, would help.

After he and his grandmother made their way through the temple, they exited and headed back to the car. King felt calm and relaxed. King was glad to spend time with his grandmother at the temple and told her so. The time with his grandmother was so precious. She patted his hand as she continued to drive home.

When they got home, there was a truck parked in front of his grandmother’s house. His grandmother had scheduled someone to drive King back home and deliver some plants and other items to King’s family. King realized he was starting to get sad, which often happened when he left his grandmother’s home. He was going to miss her dearly. King went into the house to grab his bag. Then, he went out to the kitchen to find his grandmother with a bag of food.

“What is this?” King asked.

“This is some food for you to eat later. I know that you sometimes get lazy and do not cook at home. This should last you a few days,” his grandma said.

“Thanks, grandma,” King said as he took the bag in appreciation.

“Now, do not forget your Calathea Sanderiana. Make sure you maintain a regular watering schedule and pay attention to the soil. You do not want the soil to dry out too much,” King’s grandma reminded him as she handed him his plant.

“Yes, Grandma, I will,” King smiled as his grandma, amused by her fussiness.

“I am going to miss you. Do not overdo it and ask for help,” King reminded his grandma as he hugged her.

“Do not worry about me. Take care of yourself and your Ram. Think about what I said about having him move in with you,” King’s grandma said pointedly.

“Okay, grandma. I will,” King said as he and his grandma walked out the front door.

“Study hard and text me when you get to your condo,” his grandma reminded him.

“Yes, Grandma! Thanks for everything! See you later!” King said as he walked around the flowers to the parked truck. The driver had just finished loading and helped King put his stuff in the back seat. King then hopped into the passenger seat. King took one last look at his grandmother’s house, and his grandma then waved goodbye. His grandma waved back as the driver pulled away from his grandmother’s house.

King got settled into his seat and took out his phone. He talked to the driver for a few minutes and then put his earplugs in to listen to some music. He texted Ram that he was on his way home and then looked out the window. King was tired from staying up late and waking up early this morning and fell asleep against the passenger window.

***************

Ram was an early riser and was surprised to find that King was not on camera anymore. He checked his phone and found out that King had left early to go with his grandma to the temple. Ram texted King back to inform him about his busy morning running errands. He confirmed that he would pick King up at 1 pm at his condo.

Ram decided it was time to get up. Ram had a busy day planned, and he needed to get his day started. Ram got up quickly, got changed, and then went out for a run.

When he got back, he took a shower and got dressed. He ate breakfast and texted his mom about coming over before his date to pick up the car. Ram then looked through his phone at some of the jobs and apartment listings to see if he could maybe apply or check some out. The apartment above the coffee shop and the private bedroom listing that Phu found were close to the flower shop. They both answered the phone stating it was okay for Ram to stop by to check out the apartments.

Ram filled out the application form for the Football Reporter position and submitted it. He did not really feel like it was a great job. Ram just figured anything was better than nothing. He also worked on his resume and cover letter for the company hiring for the Media Content Translator position. Ram thought it was a long shot but applied anyway. Lastly, he applied for the tutoring position. He did not feel it was for him, and he probably did not meet the minimum requirements, but it was still a job to try for.

After he finished applying for the jobs, he grabbed his bag, put the clothes for his date in it and some of his toiletries since he planned to get ready at his family house. He looked at his watch and realized he needed to get going. He grabbed his phone and keys and left.

****************

Ram took the bus to the private bedroom listing located in a neighborhood close to the university. Ram was hoping that what was written in the advertisement was not what he thought it meant regarding other types of favors. Ram found himself in front of a building. He went to the elevator and went up to the 4th floor. He found the apartment number, took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell.

After a few seconds, the door swung open, and a lady, probably in her 30s, opened the door. She was dressed in shorts that were mid-thigh. She also wore a low-cut red tank top displaying a rather large cleavage. She was wearing a full face of makeup. Ram figured that maybe she was going to be going somewhere after their meeting.

“Yes, how can I help you?” she asked. Ram wai’d to her and introduced himself.

“Khun, I called earlier about seeing the room for rent,” Ram stated. The lady eyed Ram from head to toe and then brought her eyes up to Ram. She smiled and whipped her hair behind her with her right hand.

“Oh yes, right. Come on in,” she said as she opened the door to allow Ram into her home.

Ram looked around. He had stepped into a small entryway that led to an open kitchen and living room. There were 3 doors on the right side, which he figured were probably the bedrooms and the bathroom.

“My name is Hansa,” the lady said, introducing herself and then putting out her hand for Ram to shake.

"And your name again?” Hansa asked

“Ram,” he answered as he shook her hand.

“Ram, such a strong name. I like it!” Hansa commented. Ram was not sure what to make of the lady.  
.  
“Well, let’s get to business!” Hansa exclaimed. She gestured for Ram to follow and showed him around her home. Ram was not sure what was going on with the lady because she was walking with her hips swaying back and forth.

“This is the kitchen, which is shared. If you would like to use any food or ingredients, you can just ask me. We can maybe even share groceries if you want to eat dinner together sometime,” Hansa said eagerly and giggled. Ram did not know how to respond, so he kept quiet. They walked over to the bathroom.

“This is the bathroom, which is shared also. Here are a toilet and a shower big enough to fit two people,” Hansa said as she winked at Ram.

“Uh-oh,” Ram thought to himself. Ram was starting to feel like the advertisement was turning out exactly how it was written.

“Now, here is the bedroom. It has a bed there that you can use. You can bring whatever else you want as long as you do not do any damage to the walls or the floor,” Hansa said as she allowed Ram to look around. The room was small. He would probably have to bring a desk from home. The room itself was not terrible. When he finished looking, he nodded at Hansa.

Hansa led him out into the living room.

“I am offering this private bedroom with the shared kitchen, bathroom, and utilities for 3000 baht a month. In the ad, I had stated that if you were to take on other duties, I would lower the rent. Interested?” Hansa asked.

“What would be the duties, and how much lower would the rent be?” Ram asked.

“If you can keep the kitchen, bathroom, and living room clean and do the dishes, I will take off 200 baht a month,” Hansa stated. Ram nodded.

“If you clean and walk around with no shirt on, I will take off another 100 baht,” Hansa added as she walked a bit closer to Ram. Ram's eyes widened, and he started to back away from her.

“You know, we can negotiate some other things you can do to decrease the rent. We would just have to go into my bedroom to talk about it further. Interested?” Hansa asked flirtatiously. That was it for Ram.

“Thank you, Khun Hansa. I will think about it. I have to go,” Ram stuttered and left quickly. When he got out of the building, he breathed a sigh of relief. Ram was disappointed that his first apartment listing was a bust. There was no way he could live with that lady.

Ram found the address of the coffee shop apartment on his phone and headed in that direction. He hoped that the next listing would be better.

******************

Ram walked a couple of blocks and made it to the coffee shop. He was instructed to go in to find the owner of both the coffee shop and the apartment, a man named Mee Noi. Ram walked into a quaint little coffee shop that seemed to have regulars both inside and out of it. It was busy, and Ram had to wait in line before talking to one of the workers. When he got to the front, he told the worker he was looking for Mee Noi about the apartment upstairs. The worker told him to wait and went to the back room to fetch her boss. A roundish man came out of the room and went up to Ram. Ram wai’d.

“Are you Khun Ram, the one looking to rent the apartment?” Mee Noi asked. Ram nodded.

“Great, follow me!” Mee Noi came out from behind the coffee bar, and Ram followed him out the front door to a door that Ram had not noticed when he got to the coffee shop. Mee Noi unlocked the door. Ram followed him up a flight of stairs to the apartment. Ram had not noticed until he walked into the one-bedroom apartment that all the walls were an ugly pastel green. There was only one set of windows that faced the street that was right above the coffee shop. Even with the window closed, he could hear orders being called and people talking downstairs.

“It can get loud downstairs, but previous tenants would just use a sound machine or music to drown out the noise. I just ask that you do not make it too loud to disturb the customers downstairs,” Mee Noi suggested. Ram was not sure about the noise situation. He often needed to study where it was quiet because he would get distracted. He could also try putting earphones on. Ram also considered studying at university and coming home just to sleep.

Ram looked around. The room itself was small, as expected, but unfurnished. He would have to bring furniture from home. He also noticed that there was no air conditioning but a fan on one of the side walls. That may make some days and nights uncomfortable and warm. It also had no kitchen. That was something to figure out. Either Ram would have to buy food every day, which would be expensive. The other option would be to buy a small refrigerator and a hotplate or microwave to heat food. That would be inconvenient, and he would have put more money out to live in this place.

“Are you in school?” Mee Noi asked. Ram nodded.

“Looking for a job?” Mee Noi inquired. Ram nodded.

“Well, since you would live right above the coffee shop, I need someone who can do a split shift and open and close the coffee shop 5 days a week and work at least two weekends a month. The job pays 90 baht an hour. You do not need any experience working in a coffee shop. I will train you myself,” Mee Noi stated.

Ram thought about it. That was a rough schedule since he would have to open before 6 am and close at 11 pm, meaning he was closing later because he was pretty sure he would have to clean up the shop before it was locked up.

“What do you think of the apartment and the job?” Mee Noi asked as he locked up the apartment, and they went down the stairs.

“Khun, I would like to think about it a little more,” Ram said honestly in front of the coffee shop. He needed to identify the pros and cons and compare this apartment to the other ones he was going to look at in the next few days. He knew this apartment was a better option than the other one he saw this morning.

“Well, let me know soon. I have a few people who have expressed some interest in the apartment and the job. I am pretty sure that this apartment will not be on the market for too much longer,” Mee Noi informed Ram as he patted his shoulder. Ram nodded and watched Mee Noi walk back into the coffee shop.

*****************

Ram left the coffee shop and walked towards campus. He wanted to stop at one more place before he picked up King’s flowers. Ram checked his phone for the address and went down a street where there were a bunch of stores. He found the address and realized it was a makeup store. He walked in and wai’d the cashier who welcomed him to the store.

“How can I help you?” she asked.

“Um, were you the ones who put out an ad for a part-time position?” Ram inquired.

“Oh, you saw the ad?” the lady asked. Ram nodded.

“I’m Churai, the owner of the shop. Your name?” she asked.

“Ram,” he answered.

“Well, you would do great, Nong Ram, especially because of how handsome you are. I know the position was a bit vague. The job is not hard and does not require any experience,” the lady said as she grabbed something hanging behind the cash register and showed it to Ram. It was a green dinosaur costume.

“The job is as a flyer distributor. You would have to work at least two evenings and one weekend shift wearing the dinosaur costume. Because you are so handsome, I am sure customers would be flocking over to get our flyers and come into our store. What do you think?” she asked. Ram thought about what he would look like in a dinosaur costume.

“How much does it pay?” Ram asked.

“70 baht an hour with a commission if a customer points out that you had helped them,” the lady stated. Ram nodded.

“If you are interested, you can start immediately. The schedule is flexible like I said. We are always in need of someone, so come back after you think about it,” she informed Ram as she went to help a customer and waved goodbye to him.

Ram was unsure if he wanted to bother people by distributing flyers. It was a good backup job if he is unable to find anything else. Ram looked at his watch. It was about time for him to pick up King’s flowers.

********************

Ram started walking towards the flower shop. He thought about his morning and thought about the two apartments he checked out and the two possible jobs that he could pursue. There were pros and cons for each. He just needed to figure out what was best for him. After a few minutes, Ram found himself right in front of the flower shop.

He walked into the shop and found Frong working on an arrangement.

“Hey, Nong Ram! Here to pick up the flowers?” Frong asked. Ram nodded with a smile.

Frong went to the back refrigerator and brought out the bouquet in both of his hands.

“We laid out the roses to your description. I think it came out way nicer. The bouquet is beautiful. King is going to love them,” Frong expressed as he handed Ram the beautiful bouquet.

Ram stared at the bouquet in amazement. Frong’s family did a great job with bunching the dozen red roses together, next to the dozen yellow roses with red tips, and then the dozen yellow roses. Ram hoped that King would understand the meaning of the bouquet.

“Thanks so much. It turned out amazing!” Ram said as he paid for the flowers.

“Nong, do you mind if we post a picture of the bouquet in our online flower arrangement gallery?” Frong asked.

“No, feel free,” Ram answered. Frong took a picture of King's bouquet.

“Great! Thanks! Have fun on your date today!” Frong exclaimed to Ram.

“Thanks, P’! See you!” Ram said before leaving and heading toward the bus stop. He luckily made it there a few minutes before his bus showed up. He hopped on and took a few deep breaths to prepare for his return to his family home.

********************

King’s driver finally got King back to his condo and dropped him off. King grabbed his stuff, thanked the driver, and wished him safe travels back. King got into the elevator. He thought about all the things he had to do. When he got to his floor, he walked down the hallway and finally got to his front door.

King put down his bags and found his keys. He opened the door and turned on the light. He picked up his bags, and a smile spread across his face as he saw all his plants.

“Hello everyone! I am back!!” King announced as he brought in his stuff and closed his front door. He gently touched some of the leaves of his plants and started to talk to each of them.

“How are you?” he said to one of his plants.

“Hello, did you guys fight?” King asked two of his plants as he grabbed onto their hanging leaves.

While touching another plant's leaves, he noticed that they seemed a bit dry. He said to it, "I'll water you later, okay?"

He then greeted some other plants, rubbing their leaves and stems in between his thumb and ring finger.

I'm back, I'm back, I'm back," he announced to his plants with reassurance.

King then remembered he had a new member of the family to introduce. He grabbed his Calathea Sanderiana out of its bag and touched the leaves lovingly.

“Everyone! We have a new family member. Please welcome Calathea Sanderiana to our home! I am sure you will all get along since a lot of you were born near Grandma’s house,” King announced.

King continued to greet each of his plants and introduced Calathea Sanderiana to them.

It took a while because he was checking each plant for what it may need. After he was done with all of his plants, he found the Venus Flytrap on his living room table.

“Venus Flytrap, this is your new brother Calathea Sanderiana. I hope you both will get along well,” King said as he put the new plant on the living room table next to Ram’s Venus Flytrap.

“I think we are going to have to come up with some nicknames for you two. I will talk to your other Por later about it,” King said. King looked at his watch. He still had some time to unpack, do a load of laundry, do some watering and pruning, pack for sleeping over at Ram’s condo, and then get ready for their date. King texted his grandmother and Ram of his arrival home. He grabbed the bag of food his grandma gave him and walked into the kitchen to put the food away. King then grabbed his bag and eagerly got started. He could not wait to see what Ram had in store for him.

****************

Ram received King’s text right when he was walking into the house. He texted King back that he was there to pick up the car and will be at his condo in about an hour or so.

Ruj, who heard the front door open, came out to see who was home.

“P’Ram, you are home?” Ruj asked, surprised. Ruj did not think that his brother would be back so soon. Ram shook his head.

“What are you doing here then?” Ruj asked, nosy as usual.

“I’m here to borrow mom’s car,” Ram answered.

“What for? Got an important date?” Ruj asked teasingly.

“I do,” Ram answered confidently. Ruj's eyes widened in surprise but then realized that it was an opportunity to tease his brother more.

“Oh, really?” Ruj said, looking up and down at Ram’s current attire.

“I hope you are not going to look like that. You are dressed a bit shabby for a date,” Ruj pointed out.

“What did I hear about a date?” Ram’s dad said as he walked up to the brothers, seemingly headed out the front door. Ram’s mom followed behind him and answered.

“Leave Ram alone! Ram asked to borrow my car for his date this afternoon. It must be serious! Look at those beautiful flowers! She is going to be so touched!” Ram’s mom exclaimed. Ruj observed his brother's response. Ram had a stoic expression on his face as he stared at his dad.

“That’s my boy!” Ram’s dad said as he kissed Ram’s mom on the cheek and patted Ram's shoulder. Ram's dad then turned to Ram.

"When are you moving back home?" Ram's dad asked.

"I'm still looking at apartments," Ram responded.

"Have you looked at any already?" Ram nodded but was not forthcoming with information.

"I told you it is not as easy as you think. Some apartments have no furniture, no kitchen, or have other things wrong with them. You may end up paying more for other stuff than the apartment itself. You may need to consider how much easier it would be to move back home, son," Ram's dad said as he gave Ram an I-told-you-so look.

"Bye! I will be home late," Ram's dad said as he walked out the door. Ram watched as his dad left, trying to hold in his anger. It felt like it has always been with his family, but Ram knew it was not.

“Ram, let me take those flowers from you so you can go ahead and get ready for your date, “ Ram’s mom took the flowers, and Ram went off to his room with Ruj following him. When they got into Ram’s room, Ruj sat on Ram’s bed as he started taking stuff out of his bag.

“So, where are you taking P’King? Somewhere romantic?” Ruj asked playfully. Ram looked at his brother then completely ignored him.

“What are you going to wear?” Ruj asked. Ram took out the outfit he was going to wear and showed it to Ruj. He had picked out a black button-down shirt to wear with some khakis. Ruj scrutinized Ram's outfit and did not think it was going to cut it for his date.

“Where are you guys going on your date?” Ruj asked.

“I’m taking P’King to a garden restaurant, and then we are going to hang out at different places until evening. Why?” Ram inquired, wondering why his brother was bugging him.

“P’, you can’t wear this black shirt. If you will be walking around the rest of the day in the sun, you will get hot and sweaty. That would be bad!” Ruj said as he picked up the black shirt. He then put it down and then went into Ram’s closet. He brought out Ram’s green chinos, a matching green short-sleeve button-down shirt, and a cream blazer to match.

“What about this? You’ll be layered so you can take off the blazer if you get hot, but can put it back on if it gets cold. Plus, you would look good in this,” Ruj said happily. Ruj really liked P’King and wanted both of them to have a great date, including making sure his brother dressed the part. Ram compared to the two outfits and figured his brother was right.

“Thanks, bro,” Ram said, agreeing that what Ruj suggested would probably work better for what he was planning for today.

“Anytime! You owe me one, big bro,” Ruj said with a smirk and walked out of Ram’s room to allow him to get ready. Ram was starting to feel butterflies in the stomach because he wanted the date to go well. He looked at his watch and realized he did not have time to dwell on it. Ram was running late. He grabbed his clothes and bag and hit the showers.

*******************

King was anything but a slacker. King had finished unpacking, washed a load, put his clothes in the dryer, watered and pruned some of the plants, and packed a bag for sleeping over at Ram’s condo. He also was able to get ready for their date without any issues. He picked something simple and comfortable to wear but looked nice.

King knew that Ram was really making an effort to take King out on a formal date as a couple. King appreciated it but also did not know what to expect. King decided to relax on the couch in his living room and drink some tea while reading about the care of the Calathea Sanderiana in one of his plant books. King was absorbed in reading when he heard a tapping at his door.

King closed his book on his living room table and walked to his front door. He opened the door to find his handsome boyfriend standing in front of him with his hands behind his back and smiling. King beamed.

King thought Ram looked good when he dressed up nicely. Ram's green chinos were fitted enough to show that Ram's legs were muscular underneath. He liked the green button-down and Ram's blazer.

While King was checking out Ram, Ram was checking out King. King was wearing a pink button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was also wearing some gray pants that went perfectly with his shirt. Ram felt so lucky to have such a good-looking boyfriend.

“Cool Boy!! You are here. Are you ready to go?” King asked. Ram shook his head and looked at King fondly before bringing the bouquet from behind his back and handed it to King.

“This is for you,” Ram said. King was amazed at the beautiful bouquet of roses and realized that Ram had included the yellow roses with the red tips. King gently touched the pedals that reminded him of their walk in the garden and the start of their relationship.

“You remembered?” King asked, surprised. Ram nodded.

"Come in!" King said as he gestured for Ram to enter the condo. King, wanting to put the roses in water, led Ram into the kitchen. King got a vase from under his sink and filled it with water and the flower food that came with the bouquet. King unwrapped the flowers, grabbed a pair of pruning scissors to cut the stems under running water, and started placing the roses in the vase.

“But why so many? Why the red and yellow roses? You did not have to,” King said as he continued to put the bouquet of roses in his vase. Although giving flowers on a date may be considered outdated, Ram did the right thing because King loved the flowers. King looked up at Ram, who was leaning his back onto the counter, watching King.

“The amount of roses is a promise to you that I will remember all of our romantic moments. The yellow roses with the red tips represent the beginning of our relationship, which has led to the other colored roses. The yellow roses express how happy I am to be with you, and the red roses are a declaration of the deep passion and love I feel for you,” Ram said matter-of-factly. King stared at Ram and absorbed his explanation.

Ram watched as King slowly nodded, put all the roses in the vase, then washed and dried his hands. He then marched himself straight up to Ram, grabbed his face, and thoroughly kissed him. Ram was shocked for a second before he closed his eyes, wrapped his arms tightly around King’s waist to pull him close so there was no space between them, and thoroughly kissed King back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram and King’s discussion about burning for each other is credited to the Netflix series Bridgerton, Episode 5 between Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings on their wedding night.
> 
> The scene where Ram asked King to keep his camera on while they sleep was a modified version of the scene in the Filipino BL series, Hello Strangers, in episode 5 between Xavier de Guzman and Mico Ramos. Love me some Xavmi/JCTon! 
> 
> The idea of the Sunday brunch at the temple came from Wat Mongkolratanaram Buddhist Temple in Berkeley, California.
> 
> King’s prayer in the temple courtyard was written by the Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh.
> 
> King's greetings to his plants were taken from My Engineer Episode 7.
> 
> How was that? Hope this gets you excited for their date!
> 
> I'm also wondering about your thoughts about the apartments and jobs...
> 
> POLL: Would you rather have shorter chapters more frequently or longer chapters less often? Just wondering. I can't promise anything. Just considering options.


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